Moon's Graden

My dog (a two year old Chesapeake) has started to develop a rawness (a
rash, I guess)
in his ears, around his eyes and around his crotch. This problem
coincides with a recent change of dog food brands. Being a poor college
student, I moved to a cheaper brand. Could this rash be a result of food
allergies?

I went back to his older more expensive food today when I hit the pet
store.

Any input would be welcome,

RM

Very much so.  I'm a firm believer that Bil-Jac is the best brand you can
buy.  As mentioned in another posting, my dogs are living proof that their
diet is of the utmost importance.  I can sympathize about the cost.  But I
have cut corners in other areas of my life to provide my two best friends
with the best food I feel on the market.  And please....do not feed your dog
table scraps.  It's the worst...worse than cheap dog food.

Rick

Yes, it very much sounds like food allergies. The premium and
super-premium foods would be much better for him. Unually, the amount
they eat of these foods is considerably less than the cheaper foods, so
the cost per feeding is actually the same. I've had great results from
Innova...others have had similar results from Solid Gold, Bil-Jac, and a
few others. To conserve on costs, invest in a good, sturdy, large tin or
trash can with a tight lid. Then, buy the largest package you can afford
(and that your dog will eat within 6 - 8 weeks). Remember to check the
feeding amounts on the pacakgel they will differ from the cheaper foods.

Your dog's allergies, in they are indeed from the food, will probably
clear up in about 3 weeks or so.

Good luck...

Carol

(for the full story, go to:
http://www.freeyellow.com/members2/potofgold/page2.html

IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE SOLUTION, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM.
     A True Story:

  In the early 1900s,  Dr Pottenger discovered this amazing truth.  He wanted
to see what affect eating only cooked foods had.  As an experiment, he took
several hundred cats, and put them in primarily two groups.  One group he fed
uncooked, raw foods, and the second group he fed only cooked foods.

  This was the outcome:  Throughout the entire experiment, the raw food cats
were strong, healthy and potent.  The cooked food cats, however, did not fare
so well.  The first generation of the cooked foods cats lived a normal life,
and developed                                       diseases near the end of
their lives.  The second generation developed diseases during the middle of
their lives, and the third generation were either born with diseases, or
developed diseases shortly after birth.  When dropped, the kittens could not
right themselves.  They would not play, had emotional problems, and fought a
lot.  Those that grew to maturity were impotent, sterile or barren.  The
experiment had to be ended because the cooked foods cats could not produce a
forth generation.  I think it interesting to note:  the pens where the raw food
cats lived were full of plants growing everywhere.  The pens that held the
cooked foods cats grew nothing.

To understand how to solve this problem, go to:
http://www.freeyellow.com/members2/potofgold/page2.html