Google rawfeeding keep an open mind and read thoroughly then get back to me and let me know what you think. I have a 1 1/2 yr old female Bullmastiff (Bella Mia<3) She is raw fed and let me tell you, BEST DECISION I'VE EVER MADE IN MY LIFE!!!!!! I am more than happy to answer questions if ANYONE has them:)
Hi Holliee,
I had a Saint smooth coat named Rudy. Its uncanny how much they look alike! Pics are on my page! He was allergic to CORN in dog food. The BEST food is salmon and sweet potatoes, or venison and brown rice. CORN and CHICKEN by-products are major culprits in skin problems. Even Science Diet has corn in it! The price is higher for the foods but well worth it. Also, flea allergies are a horrible thing to deal with. I never heard about the cheap foods having dead animal remains in them...thats nasty!! The red dye 40...never heard of that either, but I know what red dye in foods will do to children, so it makes sense.
I no longer have Rudy :( Because of his special needs and cost of his medical care and me losing my job, I had a Saint rescue find him a new home. He is now in Minnesota...I think. I miss him SO much. His best friends at my home were my bird and our kitty. Again, pics on my page!
Good luck with your beauty!!
You have an advantage in that you have a big dog. By that I mean that minute traces of chemicals, preservatives, etc. are going to be a lot less likely to affect him than they might a small dog. In my experience, itching is more often the result of low fat content, rather than colorants. Check labels for high protein, high fat (you won't get to much in any dry food), and low fillers (ash).
Well I use Medi Cal dog food that I get from my vets office. It doesn't have any dyes in it-I just checked. It's super expensive though. For a 30.8 pound bag, it costs me about 80 bucks :/ But it last my two mini schnauzers about 3 months. Supposedly you need to give them less than you would store bought foods.
We used to feed my older schnauzer regular puppy food, but he kept getting bladder infections, and it got real expensive real fast. Since I've been buying this food, he hasn't had one since, and that was almost four years ago.
she is a beautiful a doggie. I just wanna cuddle up with her and take a nap!
I don't know much about dogs and dog foods...I am a new dog owner...I am owned by several cats...always have been.
for my cats, they eat EaglePack...which is also avail for dogs and as soon as I can get my man to spend the money...the dog will be on it as well. It costs me about 26-30 for a 16-20lb bag for the cats...i go thru about a bag a month. I think it would be pretty much the same for my dog...but he's a boston terrior...not a St. Bernard.
I'm also going to check into that red dye #40 stuff...i've noticed that Spencer has dry itchy skin too...we did switch from the store brand to Beneful...I'll see if that helps.