Grain-free for bad sinuses?

It seems like everyone has been having sinus trouble and allergies.  Is there a pug out there that hasn’t had some sort of related issue?  I guess sometimes it’s the price we pay for being so darned cute.  Anyway, I know many of you have been tested by your vet and prescribed those customized shots.  About a year before I was diagnosed with PDE, I was in the same boat.  After not being able to find any relief from my itchy back legs, I started the shot regimen.  Like your humans, my mom wasn’t keen on the idea, but it did help.  Then when I got sick, the shots had to stop.  Luckily, I haven’t been itchy since.

But now, I’ve been feeling more like a Saint Bernard than Pug since last fall. I drool like one of those big dogs almost every morning…3 to 4 inch long stalactites. And when I sneeze, you better watch out. Large projectiles of snot go flying!  Here's some pictures mom got a few days ago on our back patio.

a 6 inch fallen stalactite after a violet sneeze - looks like a hammer, huh?

me being cute after the sneeze

My sinuses are so dreadful that I don’t breathe very well sometimes. I know us pugs usually have this kind of problem, but to be honest (and mom will vouch for me), I’ve never been much of a snorter or snorer.  It’s so bad that my local vet could see the drainage down my throat. YUCK! They prescribed anti-histamine pills, but those didn’t work. Then at my last visit with Dr. Podell, he suggested trying two things.  The first idea was to try the drug Phenylephrine (think Sudafed).  It seemed to clear up the mucus very well, but it made my hair stand straight up along my back and gave me a nasty upset stomach…even as little as 5mg (1/2 a tablet).  So unfortunately that was a bust.

The second thing Dr. Podell recommended was to try a grain free diet with non-poultry based protein.  Right now, I eat Hill’s Science Diet w/d since it is low in fat and low in calories.  I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I get really hungry because of some PDE meds I take.  With the w/d, I can eat more frequently and more per serving.  So mom says we are going to try grain free, but the trick has been to find one that is low in calories (so I can still eat a lot) and low in fat (I don’t have a gall bladder so I can’t process fat very well).  Mom is using Dog Food Advisor to find out more information on any potential contender.  Regardless of what she picks out for me, I hope it's yummy!  I’ll let her take over the rest of this post…

Love,
Payton

Christy here.  Dr. Podell said to look at Hill’s Science Diet d/d potato and salmon formula, but it got slammed in the review…as did most of the Hill’s kibble for that matter.  Nutrisca lamb and chickpea formula is another option since it seems to be one of the highly rated, lower calorie options…but it has slightly more fat than the d/d.  Blue Buffalo Wilderness salmon and California Natural lamb varieties have the least fat percentages, but both have the highest calorie count per cup that I've looked at.  Right now I think we are leaning toward the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon.

Has anyone out there had any luck with this kind of food?  A few of you have mentioned in your blogs that you are on a grain free diet.  What brand and variety do your dogs eat?  Has it helped with their sinuses and allergies?  Do they like it?

We are also toying with the idea of home-made food (either all the way or mixing in with whichever store bought grain free food we go with).  I stumbled upon this website the other day that details a diet that is good for the liver, and Payton needs all the help there that she can get.  So many of her PDE drugs metabolize through the liver – that’s why she is on so many liver supplements.  Minnie Moo (and Lincoln), I remember that you guys are on a home-made diet.  How are you able to travel with this kind of food?  Do you have any tips and/or warnings?

One last thing (I know this post is turning into a book)…any grain free suggestions on what to use for disguising pills?  She’ll need something low in calories and fat.  We use bread now, but that won’t work with a grain free diet.  Maybe canned pumpkin?

Please let me know your thoughts/experiences with grain free food (purchased or home-made).  Thanks so much for being patient and reading this to the end and for all your help and advice!

Love,
Christy