H‑E‑B Heritage Ranch Dog Food

[Mitzi]

Has anyone tried this dog food (H‑E‑B Heritage Ranch Dog Food)? It comes in grain free and is a much better price than most grain free I have seem. My daughter tried it on her dog and said she loves it.

 

[Macawnutz]

 

[Laurah]

No I never heard of it. Hope your dogs like it

 

[Lady Jane]

I am curious why one chooses to feed your dog grain free food?

 

[Mitzi]

My daughter's dog seems to have allergies and they are hoping this will help with the itching, as nothing else has.

 

[Bartleby]

My daughter's dog seems to have allergies and they are hoping this will help with the itching, as nothing else has.

It's much more common for a dog to have protein allergies than grain allergies. Chicken is the number one allergen for dogs......it is VERY hard to find food that doesn't contain some form of chicken. Chicken fat in particular is added to most foods, even the fish based ones.

Having gone down the allergy road with two of my own dogs, and helped a couple friends with theirs, I would really urge her to focus on trying novel proteins.

 

[Mitzi]

What type dog food do you suggest? Would Taste of the Wild be better?

 

[iamwhoiam]

What is her dog allergic to? My dog is supposedly allergic to peas, oats, corn and pork. Unfortunately he is on a special limited diet which contains some of these but he also has medication to reduce his allergies.
My other dogs get Fromm's grain free salmon tunalini. It's a very high quality food.
If you want info on dog food here is a good website: Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor

 

[Mitzi]

I don't think it is a food allergy. I think it is just more of a seasonal type allergy. I'll check out the dog food reviews and ratings.

 

[Bartleby]

I had a dog with various protein, grain and seasonal allergies. Amongst all these we discovered he was allergic to "grass", needless to say that was a PITA. The vet started him on plain old Benadryl every day.....lo and behold his contact allergies cleared right up. He took 25 mg of generic diphenhydramine for the last 8 years of his life. I bought it at Costco and got a 360 tablets container for $4.

If the dog has environmental allergies then changing foods probably isn't going to help that much. It'd be like me going "gluten free" to try to clear up my hay fever. Having said that, allergies tend to travel in clusters so where there's one there's probably more. Have your daughter talk to her vet about exploring antihistamine options. If the Benadryl doesn't work there are many other OTC options.

Changing food shouldn't hurt. Usually the first recommendation is to go with a fish based kibble. It's easier to find a fish based kibble without any non fish based ingredients than probably any other protein (plus fish based is usually the most inexpensive novel protein option) so you can really knock out all the usual suspects. The thing about TOTW is that almost all of them have chicken fat in there. The base formula is very similar across the board. It's been a long time since I did food trials, but maybe their Pacific Stream formula is worth a shot.

 

[Lady Jane]

I was a rep for Purina for a few years and the food they make for allergy prone dogs has either lamb or salmon as the protein source.

 

[Greycloud]

My sis is a vet tech and office manager for one of the biggest Dermatology vets here in Maryland. Grain free is best if dogs have allergies because they have a more difficult time processing and breaking down grains. Human grade meats is best. If a dog is not allergic to foods it doesn't matter what food you feed as long as it is high quality. If they do have food allergies, choose a meat that is not found in regular foods as the dog will have an easier time processing. Here are some examples:

There is a wide variety of whole protein sources available for commercially produced dog foods, depending upon dogs unique needs one source may be a better choice than another. If a dog has experienced allergies to food products in the past it is generally better to go with a single source protein food.

• Fish: Fish protein sources provide an array of natural oils and vitamins that help improve a dogs coat and joint mobility.
• Bison: Bison is a very digestible protein source that is a good option for dogs that experience allergies to other protein sources.
• Kangaroo: Kangaroo is an easily digested protein source and another good choice for dogs with allergies to certain protein sources. Kangaroo is an expensive protein source however making it cost prohibitive for many dog owners.
• Beef: Beef is one of the more common protein sources for dog foods; however, it is also one that many dogs with allergies react to.
• Chicken: Chicken is the most popular protein source but it is also the most common allergen as far as protein sources go.
• Lamb: Lamb is a more commonly available protein source for dogs with chicken or beef allergies.
• Venison: Venison is an easier to digest protein source recommended for dogs with allergies and it is less cost prohibitive than other options.
• Duck: Duck is a common protein ingredient in “hypoallergenic” dog foods; it is easier to digest than chicken and is more affordable than other easily digested protein based foods.

Dogs with allergies should always be seen by a dermatologist who know exactly what tests to perform to check for specific allergies. Regular vets should refer you to one.

 

[Greycloud]

I love Dr. Becker! Check out her vids!