So, we had the appt this afternoon.

Tillie is allergic too:
chicken
eggs
turkey
duck
rabbit
beets (what dog eats beets anyway!?)
carrots
potato
apple (she LOVES apples. )
green beans
peas
fish mix
oats
soy
wheat
berries
shellfish


She CAN have:
Beef (and this was what I THOUGHT she was allergic too! -bring on the bully sticks! LOL)
lamb
pork
venison
salmon
barley
corn(?)
rice
sweet potatoes
banana (do dogs eat banana?)
cow's milk (yay for yogurt!)
peanut (YIPPIE for pb!)
yeast (?)
spinach
tomato

we had a big ol' consult and he advised what he thought would work best for Tillie. And I got roped into HOME MADE. sigh. I KNOW it's best for her, but I was REALLY hoping she could have one of the raw "medallions" like Primal raw makes. But apparently there are things she is allergic too in those "easy" options. So homemade I go. I have a 2 lb roll of beef/beef bones defrosting in the fridge and the kale, cauliflower, brocolli, spinach and squash in the crisper. Probiotics in the fridge, "Solid Gold" Seameal and Coconut oil on the counter and no $$ in my bank account! LOL

The vet said she also has an underlying yeast infection... I don't fully understand that part though?

I haven't broke the news to my husband yet. He is NOT going to be happy. Especially since Tillie will be eating better than HIM.
The vet said that once Tillie's system has calmed down I *might* be able to switch her to a kibble, or go 1/2 and 1/2 but we'll see when we get there I guess.
The food list he gave me is:

California Natural Lamb/rice (his #1 choice if I MUST switch back to kibble at some point)
Nature Balance lamb meal/brown rice formula (#2 choice)
Wellness Salmon/rice or Lamb/rice (MY #1 choice)

For Primal Raw he said there were no formula's Tillie could have but then wrote "lamb mix, beef, buffalo, lamb, sardine" ...?

and then what I have in the fridge now "Small batch" beef and bone blend, a roll of nastiness defrosting.

Does any of this make any sense to anyone out there??
I feel like I am floundering and don't want to do the wrong thing.
I believe the vet really has Tillie's health and best interest at heart, but I don't want to bankrupt us either!!
Anyone else been here, done that? Any advice?
I'm planning on making up her food tomorrow. I'm suppose to cook it for now, and then add in the supplements and oil and probiotics when I feed her. slowly transistioning to raw, if that is the road we take.

So much for us EVER going on vacation again.

I'm overwhelmed and honestly very sad right now. Doing what's best for Tillie could be very hard on our family. I hope that over time we can find a balance.
If you've read this far, thank you.
Thank you for listening and for understanding.

(((Tillie)))
"banana (do dogs eat banana?)"--Comet LOVES bananas

Jack loves bananas, too, but you have to be careful. It goes straight to their hips! My vet told me that a pinkie-tip size is plenty. Nessie, on the other hand, did the 'keep-the-mouth-open and hopefully-the-nasty-food-will-fall-out' manuever. lol!

My previous dog was on California Natural. He had seasonal allergies. I did the chicken & rice or lamb & rice. I also mixed in a small bag of Herring&Sweet Potato. That really helped keep down the itchies. I suppose that the Herring&S.P. alone would have been best but *gack* the horrible fish breath. It killed me.

I never had a chance to try their new grain-free line.

We have Jack and Nessie on "Taste of the Wild High Prairie Mix" now. It seems to work for them.

I would not revert to kibble. Sabine, is all I will say with this mess of allergies. Look at this as a positive. It's a chance to feed a healthier diet. This is not an expensive diet. Check her out. It will save you money down the road.

Tammy, I had a cat that I had to cook for for years. It seems overwhelming to start with, but one you get it down to a routine, you can cook a whole bunch at once, keep out just what you need for a few days and freeze the rest in small batches. That will last you a LONG time.

Remember what I told you about the fact that when their system is overwhelmed, they can be reactive to ALL SORTS of things that wouldn't cause a real-life reaction when their system is calmed down? It could very well be that Tillie will be able to tolerate a wider range of ingredients, and you can find a kibble (or canned food) that she can tolerate. I know that Natural Balance has a BUCH of limited ingredient foods, both kibble and canned. I suspect they aren't the only brand that does.

As far as Tillie NOT being reactive to corn... I'd be VERY careful with that one. It's such a common allergen, and you can't have an allergic reaction to something you haven't ever been exposed to. If you've purposely avoided corn up until now, that may very well be why she doesn't react to it. If you expose her to it a few times, you might find that she IS allergic to it.

Lastly, as far as bananas are concerned, Kodi goes BANANAS over them. They are his all-time favorite treat!

First off I believe you went to your regular vet not an allergy specialist. If possible you need to convince your vet to send his findings to an allergist. Allergy's are a very specialized area, even for humans. Many of the allergys that have come up your dog may have not even been exposed to!!!!! This test was standardized and the most important part of a test like this is the experience of the Vet. A Vet that maybe sees several cases a day vs a Vet that sees only allergy cases everyday
The reason I am even comment on this is because, I think you really care, and I have been through this a few times. So I do understand how expensive this can be and how frustrating. I also have learned by experience what a difference a specialist can make.
Even knowing the allergys and controling them for years does take a tolll so when you first start treating them you need to be smart, not easy. There are very standard things Vets say...but they are geared to what they think the avarage person will find confortable, not what is best for the dog. One big myth is drop coated dog with allergys are better off with short coats, not true at all, but it is eaiser for some owners, in fact many owners. The truth is drop coated dogs have this coat for a reason.
I really hope you find someone who can help you take care of this in an efficient and timely manner, so you can avoid future problems. All the best.

Is it the initial investment that is expensive and then actually it might not be any more expensive than some of the kibble you mentioned? I hope it works well for you, I have always heard that the homemade diets save you money on vet bills, in the long run, as compared to a Kibble diet. Keep us posted, please. I am with karen...I would not touch the corn at all...JMHO...lol

I agree Robbie, if you can afford an allergist, you might find that some of these things, she actually isn't allergic to. My letter from Sabine this past week talked about this . Either way I would consult with an expert not a vet.

thanks for all the comments and info! I think I am on information overload! LOL

thanks SO much for the heads up on her not being 'reactive' to corn (and wheat as well). I will continue to avoid those. She has been on Taste of the Wild prairie formula since the breeder. It is grain free, so I don't believe she has been exposed to those... unfortunatly same goes with rice... never really been exposed. Thank you for that info!!
And yes, the start up cost wasn't fun, but I DO see how it could be very cost effective down the road. Once I get it all figured out.
The vet we went to is a Natural/Holistic Veternarian and does specialize in allergies. He isn't our regular vet, but we were refered to him.
As it stands now, I will be making her meals every couple days, eliminating all foods that she was reactive too, especially chicken. It will be a learning experience.
Karen, thank you for your encouraging words!

here is what Sabine said again.
"For the duration of the elimination diet, yes, since the idea is to eliminate all "unknowns", including all the commercial additives that may be present in store bought foods.

Some people may decide to try going back to feeding commercial products once they know what works and what doesn't, and often it will be ok for the dog that way, but for the really sensitive individuals it might turn out that they need to stay on minimally processed homemade food because they don't react to a specific ingredient (e.g. chicken, or oats etc.) but just can't tolerate highly processed food"