Was the puppy OK when you got him, and did the breeder leave any of the food she was feeding him on with you? Or have these allergies developed since you had him?

Rice is a grain I guess but it doesn't contain gluten so if it's gluten free you need then rice should be fine.

He was fine he arrived at 9 weeks but they gave Beta puppy (first ingredient is cereal and lots of derivatives in!) which I'd assumed he had been on, but later found he had been raw fed as was his mother. By that time he had spots on his tummy and itchy all over. They said it was cos of central heating as he had been an outdoors dog.

My vet advised Wafcol Grain free so put him on that it solved the spots on tummy and itchyness was not as bad but longer he was on it he had problem with runny eyes and poo's getting looser ending in liquid squits.

when vet came he had only gained half a kilo between 9 weeks and around 15 weeks and vet was expecting him to have been bigger.

He went on home cooked bland food for a bit and I gradually introduced Eden.. this cleared his eyes and firmed up his poo's to start but he was more hyper and quick to snap.. his poo's got smellier till we reached point they were absolutely rank and he started eating them!
His breath smelt too like humans do when on Atkins high protein diet

so back to home cooked.. smell went from him and his poo's and calmer behaviour.

I did research online and decided to try a single novel protein. I'd already had taster packs from Bob & Lush which he loved and got £25 voucher so thought I'd start with them first as their food is completely cereal free and its duck which he's never had before (and lamb in the wet).

So that's where we are up to.. waiting for the Bob & Lush to arrive probably tomorrow he's on plain potato and fish tonight (and had chicken yesterday from sunday dinner).

He doesn't seem to have problem with fresh chicken and fish on their own though so must assume it could have been the whole eggs in the Eden which made his poo's smell so bad and multi meats and fishes mixed together that was too much protein for him.

Not all grains are bad and not all grains contain gluten - which tends to be the main cause of a "grain allergy".

Having reduced some the meat protein Pereg was having [on the advice of my Vet], he and I both looked into whole grains as being a possible addition to her food [she does not have an allergies at all but is epileptic and some people believe that all grains are bad for an epi] to make up the volume/weight of the meat reduction.

Grains like Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat [which is not a grain in spite of the name], whole unrefined barley, whole unrefined rice [brown, red, black, wild rice] - all are good sources of protein and fibre. For dogs as well as for humans.

Yes it means cooking them but as they can all be cooked in a rice cooker in bulk, then frozen in portions, it is no more work than it is steaming her vegetables to be frozen in bulk. And whatever grains and vegetables I bulk cook are those I eat myself, so it is killing two birds with one stone!

Adding some whole grains means she can still have raw meat in her first meal - just not so much - and her evening meals are still her RMBs.

Fish 4 Dogs or Orijen. I feed Orijen (fish version) as one of mine is also intolerant to chicken.

That's interesting thanks. I noticed Inca's senior food has brown or wild rice and barley in.. I decided to try JJ on some just for one meal to see if there's a reaction like really bad runny eyes or itching all night.. or not. Then I will know if I can widen the ingredients in my search or allow certain grains in a cheaper food after he's finished the Bob & Lush kibble.

I am not sure whether the grains in a cheaper food would be whole grains or processed ones which might have come into contact with gluten or whatever it is that is an allergen for him. I specifically buy whole grains which are guaranteed to be free of gluten.

ok. Burns do a dog food in UK which has a good reputation for being good for sensitive tummies in dogs.

I was interested to see they have a range they claim is for Assistance Dogs who need to be calm but alert & attentive (Burns Alert) but it has brown rice and oats so I wasn't sure about it. I've asked for a sample so can make sure he doesn't have a reaction before buying a small bag to try.

http://burnspet.co.uk/products/burns...ance-dogs.html

Think it only has about 18% protein and is similar in ingredients to Inca's senior food so if he got a delayed reaction Inca can always finish it off it won't be wasted. (as she only has one bag left anyway)

If I get the Lamb one it will still be a novel protein to him, maybe I can try mixing with the Bob & Lush and see what results I get.

I did wonder if its just cos he was put straight on raw his mother was raw fed then he was brought with a high cereal content food and his little body reacted, being only 9 weeks old. I didn't realise that wasn't what he had been fed with him been so young I didn't think he'd be put straight onto raw meat and bone!

I think if that's the only reason then maybe weaning him onto something like Burns Alert slowly might work? He really doesn't need anything else in the equation making him more hyper being already an high energy breed!!

I will first try him on just the Bob & Lush though to see what reaction we get to that first.. I'd then know if the runny eyes came back after starting to add Burns into his dinner that it was that one and probably then stick with one entirely grain free for him.

So when the breeder brought him round to you, you had no idea that he had been weaned onto raw food, and she had not told you of that fact.

no I assumed she meant her adult dogs were on raw, but I'd already said I didn't do raw and didn't think they'd make such tiny puppies eat raw bone and meat, knowing he was going to be fed on kibble by his new owner. I am deaf and the lady had scottish accent (I'm not in Scotland). I was guessing much of what she said from lip-reading. She left papers with instructions on worming, how many meals he needed a day and how much so naturally I assumed that's what he was on!

Surely breeders don't all expect everybody to feed raw?