Food / Allergy question

Question
Hello,
I seem to have two problems going on here with my 11 month old Female Dobie.When I first got her at 6 months, (she had itching problems and loose stools) So,I imediately started her on Canidae. She continued to have diaherra.We couldn't seem to get rid of it until I put her on Pro Plan large Breed Puppy. However,she also suffers from severe skin allergies.In my search to get her on a better food I tried Nature's Recipe. Her itching has lessened a little,BUT now she has diaherra again. The vet thinks she looks fine(weight wise),but the loose stools are driving me crazy. I just decided to try a Holistic diet. I ordered it online and am awaiting it's arrival. I was wondering what your opinion is about *Life's Abundance*? Since her stool firmed up on Pro Plan,and got loose on Canidae is it also possible she could be allergic to something in that? I'm going broke trying all these new food,but want the best for her.It would be really great if Life's Abundance is my answer!

Answer
I think you need to take a look at the different ingredients in the foods.  If you dog is allergic to lamb for instance, it will have problems with anything from Purina 1 to California Gold if it has lamb.  If you no longer have packages with lists of ingredients, you can check their websites.  Look for ingredients the different foods have in common.  Then try foods that don't have what seems to be the problem.  As for Life's Abundance, it is one more of many overly hyped foods.  If it has ingredients your dog is allergic to, it won't help.  I have a friend whose dog developed an allergy to the chicken in Pro Plan.  The dog is doing fine now on lamb meal based Iams including its corn.  Grain free isn't the answer if the dog's allergy isn't to a grain.  

Much of the discussion of dog food originates with somebody selling something and alternative diet believers.  Very little of it has any scientific basis or is supported by any testing.  You can find more mainstream views at http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/articles2.html#nutrition and http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2009/07/pet-food-nutrition-myths/

Your vet has checked and rechecked for parasites?  Sometimes they are hard to find and you will never straighten out the loose stools until all the parasites are gone.  Be careful how much you feed too.  Some of the more expensive foods are highly rich in calories, and over feeding can cause loose stools.