CHAAMP
Chesapeake Area Alaskan Malamute Protection
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
It is common for some Alaskan Malamutes to have sensitive tummies. We consulted with holistic vets who explain that some dogs may have an intolerance to common fillers found in kibble such as peas, carrots, and even chicken. Imagine feeding your dog the best human-grade food and yet they still have tummy issues? This is why we want to identify the specific food that our dog's body does not tolerate.
Foods that do not agree with our body can cause gas leading to bloat, which is deadly. When your body does not react well to something you ate, it can be painful, irritable, cause sleeplessness, body ache(s), skin irritation, etc. Finn MacCool scored red (highly intolerant) to pumpkin. Thankfully his intolerance gave him ear infections and not a tummy ache because his mom would have fed him pumpkin, which is the go-to for upset tummies!
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"Please note, it is rarely a food allergy, per se, that we see in dogs. A true allergy has you on your hands and knees, blue in the face, coughing, gasping for air, projectile vomitting and diarrhoea. It’s a most severe reaction, instant, dramatic and life threatening. What most of us see in our dogs is a food sensitivity, but it’s more of an intolerance, slower to kick in, slightly less dramatic (recurring skin or gut issues as a result of inflammation). While less dramatic, it’s chronic, depletive effects on the animal are no less serious." ~Dr. Conor Brady
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Food intolerance versus food allergy as explained by Dr. Connor.
Learn about the Elimination Diet
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There are limited ingredient diet options available in kibble, raw, fresh food, etc. Malamutes do not need as much food as they think they do!
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We have experienced great success from consulting with holistic vets, which recommend an intolerance test to identify the root cause and eliminate it from the dog's diet.
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​PET INTOLERANCE TESTS
For the price of a vet visit, you can submit hair samples for analysis using tests by Modern Allergy Management ($75) or 5 Strands ($150 detailed report). These tests identify foods with different levels such as yellow, green, and red (Level 3 highly intolerant). CHAAMP does not get paid for referencing these companies.