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My 5 yr old male Scottie has been on Apoquel since he was a few months old due to contact allergies. He was fine with Nature's Recipe Grain free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin all that time but about 10 mos ago his pH was 8 and the Vet put him on Hill's c/d. Within 2 weeks his itch level went from almost none to extreme. This continued for months with the Vet saying it was his allergies not the food which does have grain. I test him at home and his pH has been averaging 7.0. I researched other food that is grain free and emailed the companies for the target urine pH on their foods. Several are close to what I read Hill's c/d is. Hill's will not correspond with me at all so I could not get their input. But then again, why would they want to recommend anything but their own Vet food? My Scotty has been on Halo Grain Free Turkey, Turkey Liver & Duck dry food for 2 weeks now and his itchiness has decreased dramatically. From what I have read, diets with lower protein content & meats that produce less proteinate are better for him. But I haven't found any list of what type of meat is best. I am just trying to be an advocate for my pup and provide something that addresses keeping the pH level normal without making his itchiness worse.
If your Scottie is on Apoquel you are correct he is being treated for contact allergies known as atopy i.e. molds, mildew, etc. things in his environment. The increase in his itching/allergies with the diet change to Hill’s c/d was most likely not due to the grains as dogs are more likely to be allergic to the protein-carbohydrate complexes in the diet. When diet ingredients are processed, we believe the proteins structure may be changes and there can be reactions between proteins and carbohydrates to form antigens called Maillard reaction products or MRPs. Research in human food allergies are looking at this because we see individuals that have say a peanut allergy and they are fine eating an unprocessed peanut with no issues. When the peanut is processed into a cookie, this is problematic, and the person will show signs of food allergies. We are also learning that food and environmental allergies do overlap in human allergies and “may” to some degree in dogs There are other components in the pet diet that may exacerbate environmental allergies. His allergy response may have been impacted by the type and level of fatty acids, antioxidants, etc., but again, true grain allergies which are common in people are less likely in our dogs. We still agree though, it is important for you to find a diet that at least does not seem to worsen his allergic response.

As far as his pH being 8 – urine pH can vary throughout the day. A single urine pH of 8 in a normal healthy, asymptomatic dog would not concern us unless your dog has had some history of urinary tract disease i.e. urinary type stones called uroliths. We would also be surprised to find over the counter diets (OTC) that actually consistently maintain a urine pH because these diets are being fed to healthy dogs and not used to manage disease states such as uroliths. Very low protein diets can cause urine to be more dilute, but again these types of diets are for managing lower urinary disease in patient or other medical conditions. So unless your dog has specific medical issues besides the environmental allergies or atopy, we would recommend finding a diet that does not seem to step up his allergic response, but realize that the ‘grain free’ aspect of the diet is more for marketing to us humans than it is a necessity in most dogs. If for some reason you do have concurrent medical issues i.e. atopy, uroliths, etc. and can't find an appropriate OTC or vet diet that is suitable for your dog we would recommend considering a homemade formulation.

I have a 6 yo German Shepherd (male, neutered, 90lbs). He tore his CCL in January and was advised he was not a good candidate for surgery due to x-rays revealing hip dysplasia in the same leg, in addition to his age. We initially treated with pain/inflammatory meds and CBD oil and now CBD oil only to avoid long term affects of the pain meds. At the same time, he was diagnosed with a UTI and crystals in his urine (drinks plenty H2O and always has access to plenty). After antibiotics and the Hills Rx Science Diet Metabolic + Urinary, Weight + Urinary Care, both conditions are now clear. I consulted with my vet about his diet regarding the Rx diet for the rest of his life vs a home cooked diet. Partially due to the cost at $80/bag per month in addition to the cost of feeding my 60lb English Creme Retriever (4yo) and 50lb Boxer (7yo). But mostly wanting to make sure I'm doing the best I can do to give all 3 what they need for their best health/life possible. In November, I started them all on Nutramax Cosequin Maximum Strength (DS) Plus MSM Chewable Tablets (GS 2/day, others 1/day). In January, I started them all on a cranberry supplement as well (GS 1500mg/day, others 500mg/day, powder in food dissolved w/water). They have always had Coconut Oil with dinner. Prior to the Rx diet, I was feeding them all Victor Chicken Flavor w/grain then switched 6 months ago to the Performance formula for the Glucosamine (it is the best quality/volume for what I am able to afford to my knowledge and review DogFoodAdvisor.com regularly). GS and Retriever get 1 Dentastix per day, Boxer gets 1 OraVet per day (gingival hyperplasia). Their treats are limited, but are usually from Zuke's and Merrick. I used to give Optima 365 daily, but due to financial circumstances, had to cut back on many things. I plan to start that again soon as well. All 3 are healthy, no medical conditions/allergies and are at healthy weight.

My question is - 1) Is anything I am giving them likely to cause crystals/stones or other problems for any of them? 2) Is the Rx diet vs home cooked diet better for the GS? and other two? I plan on monitoring the Ph regularly at home. 3) My family raises/processes our own beef. The beef are fed 100% organically, no steroids, etc. and is extremely lean. I never have to drain any fat from the hamburger. If I go with a home cooked diet, will using this hamburger be a problem? 4) Any other suggestions? Anything I am missing? I apologize for the length. My own research just goes round and round. Thank you very much!
The GS dog alone is a complicated case and will take some time to sort out, and then you have other dogs to consider. At this point, I recommend a phone conversation with one of our nutritionists. The goal of this service is to help pet owners determine the most appropriate nutrition plan to meet the needs of their pet or household of pets. There are several dietary options for most nutritional problems. The nutritionist will explain, discuss and help you decide on the next best option for moving foward. We hope this to be a more efficient and cost-effective line of consultations for pet owners.

I have 3 cats 15,8,4 yr old my cat has allergies so hey were on blue buffalo and wet can food fancy feast all their life now I switched them to Fromm a good food grain free surf and turf had salmon and chicken and duck now I see my other two itch and found out my 2 line this food my 8 Yr old liked it now doesn’t I’m getting overwhelmed maybe u shouldn’t of done this but reading ingredients fancy feast is not good either but going back to the Fromm there allergic to something asked my vet took my oldest cat last week said Fromm is a good food cause. He feeds his dog that but with cats I see they can be allergic to chicken and fish what food out there is good grain free I can’t be switching no more aand I have to see if there eating I work 8hrs I need a food that they will like please can you help ?
We do offer now a phone conversation with a nutritionist about your cat or cats and, if you would also like a list of commercial options, we can provide you with a written report/list after the phone consult and a review of the pet’s medical record. There are several dietary options for most healthy pets and the nutritionist will explain, discuss and help you decide. The phone conversation service fee is $200 for 30 minutes, and a copy of that commercial product report will be sent to your primary care veterinarian for their medical records.

I have 2 cats Tonkiese and they just completd 10 years old. They was eating dry food Royal Canin Rabit and 3 years ago I started to give to them From Rabit and Duck. As can food I was given weruva Chi men and Turkey. One month ago they started to vomit frequently in two weeks 10 times. I took one of them to veterinarium and he said for me to give to them just can food. I started today and I have weruva . But my questian is, is can food enough ? The can food has everything they needed? Is weruva the best can food for cats? Do they have all nutrients they needed? What do you recomend? Thank you.
If the can label states the product the' nutritionally complete and balanced for adult cats', then yes.
If you cannot find this information on the label, then you can all the company or change to another product.
If the cats continue to vomit regularly, yes we can provide a nutritional recommendation in concert with your veterinarian.

I’m at a loss as to why such advice on Raw food. I have had 2 dogs on raw for the past 10 years and have friends doing same for many years and we never had issues with salmonella. Furthermore, why a warning on raw food only when there many (in fact much more) documented recall cases of salmonella with kibble as well as many treats sold. An animal’s stomach is made to handle a certain amount of bacteria from raw foods that humans cannot, and when raw is handled properly I don’t see how any vet can say that raw is a danger to any dog or cat for that matter. In fact barn cats eat mice, no one cooks them! More nutrition and water in a dead mouse then anything kibble can offer! We had many barn cats living on mice and none of them dead from salmonella.
You are mixing apples and oranges, and cherry picking the facts to fit your viewpoint.
Here are 4 unbiased sources of information, i.e, not one of them sell dog food of any kind.

1.      There is a white paper on the topic in our library.
2.      See the FDA info at https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm403350.htm
3.      See AVMA info at https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/FAQs/Pages/Raw-Pet-Foods-and-the-AVMA-Policy-FAQ.aspx
4.      See AHHA info at https://www.aaha.org/professional/resources/raw_protein_diet.aspx

"We had many barn cats living on mice and none of them dead from salmonella."
You do not understand where the salmonella comes from in our meat supply - true fresh kills are not contaminated. The meat in the grocery is not a fresh kill.

I have a soon to be 6 yo female mixed breed (Rat Terrier and other working dogs). She was diagnosed with Stage 2 CKD. Creatinine was 1.7 in December 2018 and 1.7 in March 2019. In 2015 and through to now, her level rose from 1.2 to the 1.7. Her SDMA was as high as 18 over the last few years and was 15 in December 2018 and 15 in March 2019. All of her other values are normal, except she was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism and is now on Levothyroxine since last week (3/23/19). Her urinalysis in December 2018 was totally normal per the vet and concentration was good. Next urinalysis is 4/10/19. What food would you suggest for her? She's not particularly fond of just dry food. She was on Holistic Select Anchovy and Sardine that I mixed with Natural Planet wet chicken dinner and she ate that. I have read many articles written by various vets and the requirement to feed a low protein diet for dogs with CKD in moderate stage seems all over the map. Some say higher, good quality protein is better as long as you can lower the phosphorus so I am adding some dried crushed egg shells to her food. I was convinced to switch her to raw (Small Batch Turkey just in the last week) for the better quality protein. It does say balanced according AAFCO feeding guidelines. However, after reading your answers to other questions about kidney disease, I think I know what you are going to say, but I'm asking anyway. Any knowledge of Wysong Synorgum as a kidney diet mixed with some kind of wet food? Thanks for reading and hopefully answering my very long questions.
There recommended phosphorous level for dogs is less than that required by AAFCO. Sooooooooo, NO over the counter dog food can legally have the phosphorous concentration low enough to help a renal case. You cannot add something to the diet (eggshell) to lower the phosphorous concentration - it does not work like that.

Protein is a secondary issue that should be adjusted based on other clinical signs associated with the renal disease. There is not one type of CKD, so dietary adjustment should be made based on the specifics the dog is showing and as it progresses.

I have a nearly 3-year-old Lhasa Apso with food allergies. She constantly chews on her paws and now they are red in color. Our vet put her on a prescription diest (Hills) but we have three dogs who all have issues when it comes to mealtime. They like to eat out of each other's bowls and share food. Is there a food I can feed all three of them that will also deal with our dog's food allergy issues. Possibly an over the counter high-quality food? Cost is not an issue if it's the right food.
If there is a protein the dog is not allergic to and a commercial maintain dog food is available - yes. For example Rayne Kangaroo and sweet potato is a maintenance dog food, made cleanly without other protein contaminates, to which the one dog may tolerate. The only valid test for food allergy is feeding - not testing blood, hair, saliva or any other body tissue. Most OTC game meat or novel meat dog foods are either not a single protein or are contaminated with other proteins (not to be found on the ingredient list) so you cannot be sure of the protein source consumed by the allergic dog. So you have to select a pet food manufacturer that guarantees the product is clean. This has nothing to do with "quality". It has to do with manufacturing practices and intent to serve the food allergic dog.

Hello. Thank you for what you do. With so much hype in the dog food industry I am constantly second guessing myself as to what my dogs should be eating. My Frenchie has a very sensitive stomach and we have already had a formulated home cooked diet which in the end have him bloody diarrhea and vomiting so we went back to kibble. He is allergic to severa things based on allergy test and is on Royal Hydrokyzed kibble and wet food. My other puppy is on Pro Plan. I keep reading how horrible these foods are. I lost my female Frenchie at 4 year old for no reason and it was so horrible. She was always on the high end grain free kibble and now I am starting to believe some of these companies are not as good as they advertise. Any suggestions for brands?
It is hard to know who to trust and no one company is perfect all the time - in any sector of the market.
However, I would have no immediate concerns if feeding a Royal Canin or Purina product.
I feed several different Purina products to my dogs. I have been to the Royal Canin facilities and manufacturing plants ... and am confident they are doing the very best job possible.
Not to say mistakes won't happen – the recent Hill’s recall is a very good reminder, that even the best of the best companies can make a mistake. But when they do, they own up to it, try to make it right and fix the problem.
Small companies, although may be attractive b/c they are small and ‘personal’ are a far greater of a risk in my opinion.

My dog is 9 and is having a large bladder stone removed... what is the best dog food I can use to prevent this from happening again ?
It all depends on the type of stone so be sure to have the stone analyzed.

I have a male exotic shorthair. He was blocked at the age of 1 and was treated by flushing and hooking him up to a catheter. I was told he had to go on royal canin urinary s/o dry or wet for a minimum of 6 months. I had him on. Combination of wet and dry and after 6 months his tests were clean. I was advised to keep him on it. Aftee doing extensive research, noting the poor quality of ingredients in the food, I decided to feed him a high quality wet food diet. (Prior to his illness he was mostly on orijen dry with some wet). I also gave him the S/O dry at night.
After 4 years I eventually decided to drop the S/O dry completely and keep him on wet food in the morning and a different high quality dry at night. Unfortunately, he mildly blocked again after 9 months and now he is back on s/o wet and dry.
My problem with the food is that even though I measure out a 1/2can of wet in the AM and 1/4cup dry at night- he seems to be overweight. He is also shedding a lot and urinating way more. Is there nothing I can do to maintain his urinary health without feeding him this low quality prescription diet?
Your cat apparently needs a diet specifically formulated for FLUTD. Only a few companies do that well and some have lower calorie options. Increased urine output is desirable in preventing blockages - the more often the bladder is emptied, the better for him and you.

"low quality" ingredients are not the or a problem in these prescription products. Ingredients in all pet foods are misunderstood by the many. Ingredient list mislabeling is occurring while exaggerating the horrors of competitor’s ingredients …. all in an effort to make the sale.

How could the ingredients be so bad if your cat has not blocked in years and is gaining weight!

If you doubt the ingredients, despite what your cat is showing you, then your understanding of the ingredients has come from less knowledgeable, inaccurate or untruthful sources.

I would be horrified too if I read the junk on the web about pet food ingredients. I know better and empathize with pet owners agonizing over the mass confusion and mound of misinformation the internet has bought us - junk reads better than the reality. We must learn to check the credentials of the author before taking in any source of information.

Basically you are questioning your food choice based on mountain of misinformation about the ingredients. Yet look at your cat!