Hi again. Just wondering if a dogs diet could be linked to the cause of nervousness?

dont know about nervousness but it can be linked to hyperactivity for high protein foods

Food intollerances can materialise in many ways including nervousness. The only way to really see if this is the case is to try an exclusion diet program. I feel though that if a dog has been nervous it will be very difficult to reverse that behaviour unless a lot of time and effort is put in with the help of a reputable behaviourist.

Yes I am wondering whether my girl's problems (becoming panic stricken about fireworks at the age of six & very dry skin (sticky excema)) is connected to dietery problems...I'm asking whether there is a website of comparing the various dog foods...Someone somewhere must have made a study of this .The dog food industry pulls in enough public money to validate this surely.   :rolleyes:

Often dogs will develop fears as they age, often a deterioration in their hearing is endough to make the noises scary when once they were not. 

The dog food industry pulls in enough public money to validate this surely.

Nope ;)

Dog food industry = Profits ;)

Have you changed her food then as you are saying that at the age of six she changed ?

Hi Yes I have in the past few months changed her food from gold label to silver label  (less protein)  Dr johns   I use it purely as a mixer with cans of Butchers/meat , Tuna in sunflower sardines baked beans etc.  This has affected her a lot & I am now thinking of going on to another dry food to try and alleviate to problems...

Baked beans Full of sugar and salt
So change of food can you see the change in her behaviour ?

Her behaviour being her increased hyper & nervousness...More especially her skin has become very dry I she has bald patches...

Ok go back ;)

Why did you change ? :)

See here for some opinions on Dr Johns food

The dry skin issues would almost certainly point to the food are you are feeding,dr johns is extremely low in protein and fat,it lacks meat and is very high in grains/cereals,all of the things i avoid like the plague in dog foods,all in all it is a very poor food :(

Get rid of the baked beans,and substitute the tuna with tinned sardines,pilchardes,mackarel etc,all are healthier and have higher Omega 3's than tuna,which has ben linked to high mercury levels,tuna is the one fish i would not feed.

I would change to a super premium food,avoid foods such as bakers and most brands by Purina,hi life,gusto etc,and pretty much any supermarket food,although there may be one or two exceptions such as autarky which i believe is available in some supermarkets.Look for a food with NO colours,dodgy preservatives(bht,bha,ethoxiquin),it should have meat as the first ingredient and as least grains/cereals as possible,these are just used as cheap fillers and provide to nutrients to the dog,a little bit of rice however wont hurt.
It is also a good idea IMO to add a variety of fresh foods to their diet,such as meats,raw meaty bones,left over veg,fruits/berries,tinned fish a bit of organ meat here and there,cottage cheese,yogurt,Raw eggs are also excellent for the coat and are a great source of protein,the list is endless.My dogs rarely get just plain dry food,i always mix in healthy extra's.

Once you have changed foods i would give a good quality fish oil along with vitE,which should help with your dogs coat.But remember all the supplements and healthy extra's in the world are not going to help if the base food is of poor quality.

Good luck :)

For comparisons sake,here are some figures for fat/protein levels of raw meat,the dogs natural diet,see how greatly the values to differ from most commercial foods?

Values include meat and bone.DMB=Dry Matter Basis,which needs to be converted when comparing dry food to wet food.

Chicken Quarter with Skin - 60% moisture, 16% protein, 21% fat (DMB 40% protein, 53% fat)

Chicken Carcass - 62% moisture, 18% protein, 14% fat (DMB 47% protein, 37% fat)

Lamb Shank - 65% moisture, 23% protein, 8% fat (DMB 66% protein, 23% fat)

Calcium and phosphorus (combined) ranged approx 2 - 2.5%.

Hi LJS I changed her food because I bought the wrong label sack...Also I didn't think as I was only using it as a mixer food that it would make much difference...Also that the fact that she is 6 years old I thought possibly I should now be giving her supplements...Maybe her breed are prone to dry skin & nervousness as they get older!
Anyway I'm going to look at the dogfoodproject website & look at the labels & go on from there...Thankyou for your input much appreciated..I'll be back to let you know how we get on...

Dry skin and bald patches can also be an indicator of Thyroid problems which can also manifest in behavioural changes.  I would be asking the Vet to do a full thyroid analysis.  I can't see how these changes could come about with only one sack of food, especially as it isn't the whole diet.

  Brainless ~~~I myself have just been diagnosed with underactive thyroid ~~~ so I know exactly where you are coming from....!

> Maybe her breed are prone to dry skin & nervousness as they get older!

I've got a GSP who's seven, and he's not become any more prone to dry skin and nervousness. I've never heard anyone else mention it about theirs either, or seen it mentioned anywhere. I think you're more likely onto something with the food. :)

Hi I wonder if you will be kind enough to let me know what you feed your GSP boy on..Thanks

He's on James Wellbeloved, I feed the ocean fish & rice alternating with turkey & rice. It seems to suit him. And I chuck in the odd raw egg now and again. :)

Thankyou ...I've read up on the JWB website & it seems to be a good food to try....Hopefully the skin problem will respond to this diet ...Many of my friends (owners of dogs) have suggested this food...There is one lady who has two black labs & their coats & zest for life are second to none...(fed on JWB of course)   Probably it will take several months to see the effect but I will be back to let you know ...Cheers for the info...

Hi I've been feeding my GSP on JWB Ocean fish & rice & turkey & rice for about a week & already her skin & hair are softer! She is more full of energy & doesn't need to eat so much The recommended 400grms per day is too much for her! I have stopped all the canned food & Dr Johns...Less in...Less out as well...

I hardly know anyone who needs to feed their dogs the amounts on the packets of any of the good foods.  Mine are supposed to have over 300g and get half that.  Most folks dogs  seem to be on up to 3/4 of the amount, and overfeeding is often the cause of tummy troubles if the dog weight is OK.

I'm glad she's looking better. If for any reason you find it doesn't seem to suit her in the longer term there are other good quality foods available as well and some will suit one dog better than another. :)

>I'm asking whether there is a website of comparing the various dog foods..

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

It's an American site but has tonns of very helpful information including dog food comparisons,not biased by any pet food companies!

Thankyou so much Ktee... What you are saying is information I require...I have even printed out your answers & I will look into the dogfoodproject website....We have a good pet shop near us that supplies loads of different brand dog food...In fact so many it becomes confusing!
I'll take your advice on board & hope it will sort out her problems.  Thanks

This is another one that does list UK foods..

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

One of my lurchers used to be very restless, pace for hours indoors even after plenty of exercise, be very disobedient and generally worrying about everything all the time.

Last year, I finally figured out that his behavioural problems are mainly down to diet. It turned out that he is allergic to animal protein. Since he has been on a 100% vegan diet, he is a perfectly normal dog (well, as normal as salukis will ever get...). Stress and allergies to environmental stuff can sometimes still trigger the same symptoms again (though not as severe), but 95% of the time now he is calm, well behaved and though still a natural worrier, much more relaxed and happy in himself and with his environment.

So yes, I would say that diet (or rather allergies to something in the diet) can maybe if not cause, then at least aggrevate nervousness!

Vera

Yes. Makes sense. This is an intersting topic for a thread.  Cartainly is worth people thinking of when you see children with allergies and the reactions they can have to foods it would work the same with dogs.  It's not something I would have thought of applying to dogs if it wasn't pointed out to me... I tend to think of the more obvious health links and physical effects of  allergies or  food intollerance.  Just a short time browsing shows it makes sense.

"Research has shown that a low quality diet -- meaning a diet loaded with chemicals, fillers, stabilizers, coloring agents, and by-products -- can lead to allergies, nervousness, hypertension, diabetes, weight problems, dry skin, and many other common ailments."
http://www.purelypets.com/articles/natural.htm

"Understanding Food Allergies
As many as one in five adults and children, and probably one in three with behavioural problems, react allergically to common foods such as milk, wheat, yeast and eggs. The knowledge that allergy to foods and chemicals can adversely affect moods and behaviour in children has been known, and ignored, for a very long time.  Early reports back in the 1980's, confirmed by recent double-blind controlled trials, have found that allergies can affect any system of the body, including the central nervous system.  They can cause a diverse range of symptoms including fatigue, slowed thought processes, irritability, agitation, aggressive behaviour, nervousness, anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, hyperactivity and learning disabilities. These types of symptoms can be caused by a variety of substances in susceptible children, though many have reactions to common foods and/or food additives."
http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.asp?id_Content=1676

Hi All....I've been feeding my Gsp on JWB since the 1st Nov & the difference in her coat disposition & well being is tremendous...I've taken all wheat maize based foods out of her diet...Just feeding her with ocean fish & or turkey & rice...Her energy is three fold...she is more settled in her sleep ...her skin has healed & coat glossy...her tummy seems flatter before it seemed rounded or bloated...most of all her nervousness with all things in general especially fireworks seems to have subsided...Altogether a much more placid dog (although still very much up to her wicked ways!)   So this thread "diet link to nervousness" is definately proven...thankyou for all your help

Good to hear she is so much better JWB is a good food ;)

Glad she's doing well and a happy girlie. GSPs are wonderful, aren't they? (not that I'm at all biased... ;) ).