Itchy, red skin, runny watery eyes, head shaking, foot licking, and gunky eyes are issue that seem to plague many dogs.

If your dog is experiencing any of these issues, consider how nutrition plays a part in it.

Your vet may prescribe antibiotics, but know that these will temporarily solve the problem, not eliminate the cause. You must get to the root of the problem to know what changes to make in your dog’s diet or environment.

When dogs are fed commercial foods for a long period of time, the body can develop and immune response whereas the body no longer recognizes the food as normal. The allergic reaction is an autoimmune system response.

Prolonged use of commercial foods can lead to digestive issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome/Colitis, Pancreatitis, Kidney Stones, Suppressed Immune System and now Congestive Heart Failure.

A healthy immune system is your dog’s first line of defense in fighting any illness. This cannot be accomplished with steroids, Apoquel or Atopica, as these suppress the immune system, which is why you see them stop working after a few months and the onset of sometimes terrible side effects.

This is why when many request our help, the first question I ask is, “What are your feeding?” Just like humans, our bodies are products of what we put in them. If you want to see change, you have to make change.

The right diets and supplements can make all the difference in your dog’s health. We’ll talk supplements later.

Want to change the diet but don’t know where to start? Start with a whitefish protein. This is the most non-reactive meat source you can use in keeping it simple.

Whitefish Diet
You can make a week’s worth and freeze/defrost as needed.

1. Cut the fish up and brown in a stock pot. Set aside.
2. Do not add any water, oil or salt when cooking.
3. Cook/steam/boil the veggies separate. Stir frequently so they do not burn. In a minute or so, the veggies will release moisture and create their own broth, or you can add a cup of simple veggie broth.
4. Add the fish to the veggies and mix.

I do an 80% protein to 20% vegetable ratio. I also use at least three veggies.

Whitefish Sources
Tilapia, Halibut, Cod
(We used tilapia with Tyson)

Green Vegetable Sources
Kale, Zucchini, Broccoli, Green Beans, Bok Choy, Dandelion Greens, Spinach, Celery
Fresh, frozen or canned, but as organic as possible is preferred
(we used green beans, spinach, broccoli and zucchini as our greens).

Stay away from fruits, sugars and starches.

When starting out, we suggest adding a digestive enzyme. Make sure it includes PROTEASE (helps break down and digest carbohydrates and starches), LIPASE (helps breakdown and digest fat) and CELLULASE (helps breakdown fiber).

We also suggest adding a probiotic on an empty stomach. Probiotics are important for dogs that have taken a lot of antibiotics. Don’t take antibiotics and probiotics at the same time, as they negate each other.

You must also add a multi-vitamin such as NuPro (or similar).

Add goat’s milk/fermented Goat Milk as it is a great source of positive bacteria.

Kefir is another source of probiotics your dog can benefit from.

A clove of garlic. The garlic must be chopped up and added after 15 minutes for maximum potency. Once your dog is cured, you can add garlic once a week. It acts as the body’s natural antibiotic. If safe to do so, stop all medications, Benadryl and steroids.

The objective is to make the body stronger, not suppress his symptoms that make it weaker.

Along with our change to the Whitefish Diet and supplements added, we added Golden Paste into each meal. This is great as it has anti-inflammatory benefits as well as it becomes extremely bioavailable and as strong as prednisone!

Add 1 tsp. of Golden Paste into each meal. You’ll have to mix it in to cover the taste so they eat it. For major immune problems and a lot of suppression with drugs, use Trans-Factor (human kind).

Once you’re sure your pup isn’t allergic to common proteins such as beef, lamb, duck, turkey or pork, you can replace the fish and rotate every 3 – 4 weeks.

I Did the Whitefish Diet and Now I Want to Move on to Meats – What’s Next?

There are many ways to feed your dog a real diet. Whether it’s cooked, lightly cooked or raw, I’m here to CONGRATULATE you on taking steps to get your dog healthy. I say any step forward and getting your dog off kibble is a step in the right direction. You have to decide what is the right way to feed, what are you prepared to pay, do you have time to make it yourself, or buy pre-made.

Dogs, like their ancient wolf ancestors, are designed to eat meat.

Simply put, dogs have a high level of hydrochloric acid in their stomachs. This acid does the majority of the digestion of the animal proteins, bones and fat and it breaks down and kills harmful bacteria. Dogs are able to eat many goods people cannot digest well. So, when a vet says they do not recommend a raw diet, it’s time to get a new vet.

Tyson’s Story
When Tyson was sick, I didn’t think twice about how to feed him or worried about salmonella that people said he or I would get from raw meat. All I knew as a pet parent was that I wanted to give him the best shot at a healthy life and if that meant raw, that’s what I would do. I will say, we tried and fed both ways. We cooked the tilapia and eventually Ground Turkey, but fed raw Beef, Pork, Duck and Lamb.

We researched, bought some nutrition books, joined some Facebook groups and got overwhelmed! We decided to start with beef. We got a chunk of Beef and put our Kitchen-Aid mixer with a grinder attachment to use. We ground up the beef and the last week of our Tilapia diet, gave Tyson small pieces to see how he would do. Let’s just say we almost lost a few fingers and he was never so excited about food. We gradually increased the pieces until 7 days in, we were feeding it as the whole meal. Green steamed veggies stayed the same (see the last two tips for the Whitefish Diet).

Addressing Pet Food Sensitivities with Homemade Diets

Because so many pets are having issues with commercially prepared foods, more and more owners are taking control by making their pet’s food. Let’s talk about some of the Do’s and Don’ts.

Benefits of Homemade Diets:

• Complete control over quality of ingredients
• No mystery ingredients
• Fresh ingredients support optimum health
• Minimally processed
• Ingredients can be rotated for variety
• Ability to prepare large batches and freeze for convenient, single serve quantities
• No worries about pet recalls

Steer clear of ingredients known to cause issues or intolerances. For dogs, the main offenders to avoid: corn and cornstarch, cow dairy, soy, wheat and glutens.

Dogs typically respond well to: Buffalo or Bison, Goat and Goat Dairy, Lamb and Sheep Dairy, Pork, Rabbit, Turkey, Venison, Sardines, wild caught Alaskan Salmon, Pollack, Catfish, Tilapia.

Use grass-fed animal proteins. Avoid Shellfish, Tuna, Swordfish, Tilefish.

Opt for wild caught fish.

Vegetables that dogs typically respond well to are: Kale, Green Beans, Broccoli, Bok Choy, Zucchini, Celery, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Spinach.

Steer clear of high carb items such as: Rice, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Pasta and Bananas.

High carb based foods equal sugar, which converts to yeast in dogs.

A carb treat here and there isn’t going to hurt them, but I don’t recommend feeding on a regular basis.

To pump up the protein, you can include Eggs, Quail Eggs (preferably organic), Goat or Sheep Milk, Cheese or Yogurt (they are also a great probiotic for maintaining good gut health).

We’ll talk about other add-ons, supplements, feeding bones and organs, so stay tuned! We want to ensure your pet has a formulated and nutritionally balanced meal plan in place.

We want to ensure your pet has a formulated and nutritionally balanced meal plan in place.

Homemade Fruit Jerky
To make homemade fruit jerky, which is good and safe for dogs and kids alike, use the following:
We bought this organic frozen fruit blend of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and kale from our local Costco (food warehouse). We used the whole bag, added 1/3 C. of honey and blended it until pourable.
Using a square metal pan lined with parchment paper, or a silicone baking sheet, pour in the blend.

If using a stove, bake at 225˚ F for 6 – 8 hours until a fruit roll-up consistency. It should not come off on your fingers when touched – if it does, bake longer. I preferred using the stove over the dehydrator because it was a liquid and did better in the stove. When done, remove, let cool, cut and enjoy!

Homemade treats for your pet don’t get any better than this! Full of anti-oxidants and so yummy!

Eggshells. Save them! They’re going to come in handy. If you make eggs, save the shells. Once you have a bunch, you want to let them dry out, or you can always bake them in the oven on a cookie sheet at 300˚ F for 10 minutes. Once you have them dried or baked, crush the shells finely and add them to your dog’s meal daily. You can also crush them up and sprinkle into your dog’s meal. This especially helps if you’re not feeding bone and acts as a calcium supplement as well as benefits joints and bones.