PH KIT

 No, I did not get it at a pharmacy. Maybe it can be purchased there. I got mine at a Global Pet store here in Toronto. I forgot to add that it comes with a small colour graph and you compare the colour of the litmus paper to the range of colours on the graph. My cat came out at "6"--which is right where you would hope to be. The hardest part was catching hgim in the litter box. I have only managed to do that once, despite  shadowing him around the house. He knows I am up to something and he is determined not to co-operate.
                       
                           Kathleen

I suspect that DaveyD is, like myself, enthusiastic about Orijen.

Like many others in the forums, I've spent an inordinate amount of time on Itchmo, Pet Connection and Howl911 over the past weeks.

My guys were on Wellness with a helping of Science Diet t/d (dental). I guess the good thing to come out of the recall is that we've all started reading labels. Last time I was in at the vet's to pick up a bag of Science Diet, I finally read the label. The veterinary nutritionist has her certificate from Hill's "nutritional experience" - possibly a one day seminar?

So we were on to Merrick's until more information surfaced about using "everything but the moo". There's a well-researched thread on this elsewhere on the forums.

I was pleased to come across Orijen, and I started out with the $2.00 sample packet. I was interested in the lower-carb formulation because shiba inu's are prone to allergies, and a number of breeders and pet parents that I know have actually switched to the BARF diet for this reason. This is the beginning of allergy season, and I've noticed that my guys don't have runny eyes anymore. This is in addition to a new softness and glossiness to their coats, and the shedding of some of the porkiness from eating all that corn and rice (not to mention BHA, BHT and ethoxyquinone).

I took the package in to the vet, who had never heard of Orijen, but she said it looked very healthy. We shall see. If we can avoid the annual trip for cortisone cream due to summer itchies, I'll be happy.

Shiba, having one dog with atopic dermatitis of my own, I can relate.  After a 4 month food trial, we now know his allergies aren't food related.  His environmental allergies are however, another story & extremely frustrating to say the least.  Especially the dandelions....   It's distressing seeing your fur baby suffer.  Although I'm currently using antigen therapy (shots) plus antibiotics and antifungals to treat his chronic yeast & staff (very common with inhalent allergies), I'm constantly researching holistic alternatives as well.  Finding the right combo to help your allergy ridden pet takes patience while pin-pointing the right combo.  If I can find a way to help him holistically, I'd prefer it for his immune system in lieu of relying on antibiotics he'll only build a tolerance to.

When dealing with seasonal or environmental allergies, some holistic treatments I've been researching and have learned might help:

•  omegas 3 & 6 (have an anti-inflammatory effect, helpful for skin outbreaks)
•  antioxidants such as vitamin C with Bioflavanoids, vitamin E & a good B complex (immune system builder)
•  be wary of cleaning solutions in your pet's living area - they are known culprits in activating allergies
•  look for dog food containing plant oils (avoid canola and cottonseed) in lieu animal fats
•  washing your dog every 2 weeks helps remove environmental allergens from their coat
•  using tea trea oil can greatly help with flea allergies altho your dog smells like a koala bear for a spate (!)
(tea tre oil is also has wonderful anti-yeast & antibacterial properties as well as a natural skin softener)
•  garlic - per The Whole Dog Journal:
   - small amounts of garlic act as a natural flea repellant
   - can be used for it's antifungal and antibacterial properties
   - promotes production of white blood cells thus acting as an immune booster for low or compromised immunity
   - may benefit dogs with diabetes by helping reduce blood-sugar levels


A great site I always recommend to folks seeking holistic natural supplements is B-Naturals, owned by Lew Olsen who has a PhD Natural Health.  She is also a co-list owner of a wonderful Yahoo group:  K9 Nutrition.  This group is a wealth of information and you might even recognize a name or two over there from the well-read blogs & forums. :-)  It may not be right for some, as chit-chat is discouraged in favor of sticking to sharing knowledgable information.  I do however highly recommend it for the free wealth of info available.  The file and archive links alone are invaluable.

One last thing before I return this thread back to it's original topic (feel free to have the topic interruptus police issue me a citation ), Lew suggests the following supplements and nutrients in combatting allergies:


Dealing with pet allergies can be a nightmare, not to mention extremely difficult if treatied via "Western" medicine using a specialist.  That's my current avenue for my dog & it's killing me financially.  But the research I've included above is helping me shift my dog's treatment to more holistic options.  I hope something I've shared helps those of you also dealing with the stress & frustration of pet allergies. For many of us, our pets are our kids.  You want to give them every advantage you are able in exchange for the unconditional love they offer in return.  From many of you, I have learned valuable tid-bits of info and advice.  Thank you for your genuine interest in sharing.  It is most definitely appreciated.

~edit for typo...

Shiba, as I said in one of my earlier replies - do what works best for you and your pet.  If this food works, then by all means, buy it!
Sorry for my long post above.  Allergies are a PITA to deal with and thought you mentioned yours were seasonal (not food related) which would mean inhalent:


And I agree about the BHA, BHT and ethoxyquinone.  I'll avoid cancer causing preservatives any day of the week thank you very much.

Anyway, my bad if I misunderstood about your allergies above - was only trying to help!

When I read the above parts of your post, I blew off everything else you said.

We are in the middle of a food crisis, where untruthful claims and statements abound.  The trick is knowing who or what information to trust or not to trust.  And there is no trust without verification.  I am doing the research, but why do you think I will necessarily reach the same conclusions as you? 

Look at both of your statements regarding the rest of us "scared and suspicious" pet owners who are just "unbelievable" and that if we don't "trust you" then you are SORRY for us.   If you strive for credibility, you might want to tone the arrogance down a notch. 

I am with ally on this - read everything, learn as much as possible, soak it all up, but always remember we are in charge of making our own decisions.  It IS okay to have a different opinion than someone else.  Really.

I was just trying to pass on some info about a new and what I have found (so far) to be a high quality product.  I am really excited about it for my dogs sake and mine...Now it has just gotten really, really weird, hateful, and way out of hand.   Let's all stop posting
in this thead and close up shop.
Hope this thread was helpful to some of you who may never have heard of Orijen.  I truly am sorry for starting such a mess... 
I am going to take my dog for a nice long walk.
Take Care

Ally The suggestions about various oils and supplements for the itchies are helpful. My guys are getting omega-3 daily, and that is probably helping too. During the pollen season, their itching gets worse; much of what they suffer is inhalant. We all (they and I) suffer year-round, though. So it is black-box testing, effectively, to see the improvement over a higher-grain diet. (Something I see in myself too, when I cut down on carbs).

We've also switched to knuckle bones from a dental kibble, and the improvement has been remarkable, not to mention appreciated by the dogs. The only downside is that they shriek at each other a lot more if one gets too close to another's bone.