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.