Rec for dog food.. staining and licking, thanks

[TraceyTracey]

Hi, my little maltese Daisy has a pink foot now due to licking and has always had tear staining. I have read on here that this could be down to allergies.

I am firstly going to try to eliminate poultry.. would you start with Poultry ??

Can anyone recommend a tasty small kibble that is poultry free that I can get hold of in the UK. Daisy is quite fussy about the kibble, she likes it small and she likes it tasty. I have tried James Welbeloved but the kibble was a bit big and I had to soak it in hot water first. Daisy did not really take to it to be honest I think she only ate it at times because she was hungry.

I have also recently been adding a priobiotic powder to her food as she gets a runny toilet quite often. I think this is either down to the allergy, or a sensitive tummy or perhaps that she likes to eat bugs in the garden. The powder I feel has really helped her.

Thanks for your responses.

[Nikki's Mom]

Eliminating grains from the dogs diet might help quite a bit. JMO.

I am sorry, I don't know what might be available in the UK, so I have no advice in that area.

[Hunter's Mom]

You might talk to others in your area to find out what they feed their dogs as I don't have much information about what is avaliable in your area. We feed Grandma Lucy's Artisan and love it but I don't know if it is carried internationally.

There could be many reasons for the tear staining. Have you consulted with your vet about the issue? Hunter's stains are not 100% due to allergies but the curvature of his facial bones and the inability of the water to evaporate or escape - instead it pools and yeast builds up. He does have some food allergies which we are aware of and have eliminated almost 100% from his diet but knowing that no matter how much we do internally, his structure adds to the tearing has helped us not to feel defeated.

Good Luck!

[Snuggle's Mom]

Not knowing what other types of Dog Food is offered in your Country, I also would suggest that you eliminate any food with grains. As far as the problem with loose stools, perhaps you might want to try giving your Dog some plain Yogurt along with the food. We give our Dogs and new Kittens Yogurt each a 1/2 teaspoon 2 x's a day of a Greek yogurt and that has been very helpful for each of them. Yogurt with probiotics have been known to helpful with tearstaining as well for some Maltese.

[Luna'sMom]

I've been feeding candiae (grain free) for about a month now - very happy with it however the staining hasn't stopped. It's lessened but not stopped entirely. I've tried alot of foods Eagle Pack Holistic (Lamb, Chicken and Sardine versions), Artemis, Eukanuba, Advance, Nutrience, Royal Canin (dental, sensitive and indoor versions), K9 Natural (a freeze dried raw diet). I've tried different protein sources i.e. fish vs chicken vs beef and nothing seems to help.

Staining can be due to so many different reasons: face structure, environment, food, allergies etc - sometimes a combination of a few so it can be hard to stop.

Good luck in your search for a food that your happy with and battle against tear stains!

[silverhaven]

Actually i just googled it and found you can get both Acana and Orijen there. Both are excellent. My Lola has a preference for Acana Grasslands .