As avid pet owners, we agree that choosing the right food for our dogs is the most difficult part of pet ownership. And you are not alone to feel overwhelmed with the number of choices available on shelf.
We are bringing a living being into our home and we have to take care of them and nurture them. That’s a family member for life. Here, we have the chance to talk to Mrs. Au, about her experience in discovering the right food for her Furbaby, Nana.
Nana is a mixed breed of Pekingese and Shih Tzu; she will turn 11 years old this year in October. We are grateful to have Mrs. Au reaching out to us, with the intention to help other dog parents who are looking for solutions for their allergic fur babies.
Nana with her beautiful and healthy coat
Interview with Mrs. Au about Nana
Firstly Mrs. Au, what motivated you to share your experience with us?
We are thrilled to see improvements in Nana! After switching to Zignature Kangaroo formula, Nana is thriving and looks happier. We trust that all fur babies deserve a happy life, so we want to help each other in any possible way we could. By sharing our experience, we think this could help other dog parents with similar conditions.
Furthermore, we want to also send encouragement to them, telling them that there are solutions for their allergic dogs.
What are the discomforts or issues Nana has been suffering from?
Nana has serious allergies. We brought her for Allergic Tests, turned out she is allergic to over 300 items, including dust, pea, chicken, wheat and so on. We had mixed feelings knowing her result. We felt relieved because we obtained more details of her allergens, at the same time, we were worried because most of the things or food could cause her allergic reactions.
How did you find out about Nana’s condition and how long it has been?
Nana had visible rashes, and sometimes her paw pads would bleed if she’d been standing for a while because the skin was too thin due to allergies. She did not have good appetite and felt lethargic, especially when her allergic reactions kicked in.
It is still sad now to recall the time when she was so unwell. We felt so sorry for not taking good care of her, and not keeping her away from her allergens.
After several consultations with the veterinarian, Nana is also diagnosed with fatty gallbladder on top of her severe allergy condition.
Nana’s sensitive and red paws before eating Zignature
Gallbladder is a small, sac-like organ that collects, concentrates, and transports bile in a dog. Bile is secreted from the liver and then sent to the small intestine to help digest fats and certain vitamins. The bile also helps to excrete waste matter from the body. If a dog suffers from gallbladder problems, such as fatty gallbladder, the dog may require special care to support the digestive process. It is important that the meals are low in fat but contain adequate soluble fiber. Read more about gallbladder from The Spruce Pets here.
Has Nana been undergoing any treatment for her allergies?
Yes. Nana is a strong girl. She has gone through a lot for her health.
Nana was initially treated with Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d for 4 years. However, the treatment did not show satisfying improvements or might have worsen her condition. Sometimes it caused her to have diarrhea too.
Subsequently, Nana was on steroids for 2 years to control her allergic reactions. As her allergic reactions became more severe, the vet then introduced Immunotherapy treatment to us.
Immunotherapy works by introducing small amounts of what the pet is allergic to and gradually increasing the dose over time, so that the pet develops tolerance to these allergens. Immunotherapy could be a good choice for a dog that has not responded well to basic allergy medications or a dog who has frequent and severe allergic signs most of the time. Read more from College of Veterinary Medicine here.
This is Nana when she wanted to play but felt tired
The purpose of Immunotherapy is to help Nana to control her condition by compressing allergens using Cytopoint and Apoquel. She was required to undergo the treatment once every 3 weeks.
Cytopoint rapidly reduces the transmission of itch linked to canine allergic dermatitis.
Apoquel has both anti-itch and anti-inflammatory properties. The main difference between Cytopoint and Apoquel is the method of administration. Cytopoint is an injection into the skin on a schedule, while Apoquel requires daily oral dosing. Read more about Cytopoint and Apoquel from Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group here.
How did you know about Zignature?
It is from the veterinarian we visited in Clementi.
During the introduction of Immunotherapy, the vet suggested to change Nana’s food diet to identify if that could help to make an improvement. He recommended Zignature Kangaroo to us for its limited ingredients formula and as a hypoallergenic dog food.
We are so thrilled about the progress. After switching to Zignature Kangaroo, Nana’s condition has improved with an obvious result. Now, she is only required to go for Immunotherapy at the 5th week. The vet is trying to even prolong the duration of the injection.
During the transition to Zignature from her previous food, did Nana encounter any problem?
Nana loves Zignature Kangaroo, she ate the foods without the needs of force feeding and was begging for more. But there was an increased in stool volume initially, this could be due to higher fibre in Zignature, or she ate more than usual. Subsequently, the stool was back to normal few days later.
The transition is a positive process for us.
What do you think about Nana’s condition now?
She is on her way to recovery. We are so happy to see her improvements and feeling fortunate to have come across Zignature. We had never imagined a suitable food formula could make so much difference on our Furbaby.
Nana is happier, calmer and has better stamina now. She loves going for walks now. She did not like outdoors as she felt tired easily and painful with her sensitive paws. One more thing is that her poop looks healthier now, which is compact and firmer with better shape. Back then, diarrhea was part of her routine, and her stool was always watery.
Other than that, now she loves her mealtime more! I believe Zignature Kangaroo is yummy to her, seeing her finish up the whole bowl every time. Not forgetting her gallbladder problem that requires a low fat and high fiber diet, Zignature Kangaroo is definitely the solution.
Nana enjoys going outdoor now.
Would you recommend Zignature to your friends and family?
Of course! Indeed, I have been sharing the brand and product with people around me. Not only I’d recommend to my friends and family, I hope many dog parents out there who share similar situation, would have the chance to try Zignature kibbles.
If you are looking for the best suitable food for your fur babies, please register to join the Zignature Exclusive Trial Feeding Programme. The objective is to help dog parents to explore solutions for allergic pups.
Thank you!
We would like to thank Mrs. Au and Nana for their invaluable and sincere input. We hope to see Nana becomes better each day and continue to enjoy her time doing what she likes with Mrs. Au and the family.
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