ANIMAL NUTRITION

Question
Hi,

I am proudly owned by two female maltese, one is 41/2yrs old,
our newest addition is on 3mos old, I have been feeding an
all organic homemade diet by have always felt that it could,
should be improved, I have searched for a veterinary nutritionist but know that there are very few, and they usually consult with the pet food companies, I am searching
for a breed specific diet for my maltese, with emphasis on
strengthening the immune system, and supporting the respiratory system via nutritional supplements as both
suffer with collapsing tracheal issues, even if all I can
get is a more balanced diet, I am sure that will help, they
'are both supplemented with CellAdvance 440, older one is
given organically raised goat flown in from Colorado as she
has allergies and seems to fare better with this meat.
They younger gets a rotation of organic chicken and goat.
Candy the older maltese is on an elimination diet of goat
and potatoes and I imagine what to do when the six months
are up.  They are given the meat with a veggie mix of
squash, radishes, celery, sweet potatoes,watercress, herbs
also rotated, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, they also get
kelp, cod liver oil in the morning, evening primrose in the
yep, evening...they drink only Poland springs although I am
looking into getting a great water filter for the home so
if you could suggest one, it would be greatly appreciated,
I don't know what else I should input, if you have any
questions, please do not hesitate to email me,  Thank
you ever so much for your time and attention we sincerely
appreciate it,  I look forward to your email... Have a great
day!

Answer
Hi Amber and thanks so much for your question.

I will be composing a thorough answer for you. There are a few things I could suggest and want my answer to include all your options.

Please be patient with me and my crazy schedule. I should have a detailed response for you by later today.

Thanks again!


FOLLOW UP ANSWER:

It sounds as if you have done alot of research on diet and nutrition for you dogs. It's so refreshing to see someone so dedicated to their pet(s).

The meat you are using is a great source of protein for a dog with allergies or sensitivities and I can't see changing it, but you might want to add fish to your rotation when the elimination diet is over with (unless you know it doesn't work for Candy). A great selection of fish would be Salmon, Jack Mackeral, Sardines, Anchovies, and Cod. These are all cold water fish and these are best for the Omega 3 fatty acids they provide. They are also lower in calories and are low residue proteins (meaning they are highly digestable). I would eliminate the cod liver oil daily and maybe do it once a week. This oil is high in vitamin A and can cause vitaminosis (vit A toxicity) over time. Vitamin A is a fat soluable vitamin and builds up in the system over time and can cause toxic effects once it reaches high levels. You can avoid using it all together if you add some organ meats (no more than 5%), lightly cooked or raw. These would include liver, gizzards, kidney, and some would say heart (but I consider this muscle meat). Tripe is also very beneficial because of the digestive enzymes it provides. You can find green tripe in cans at better pet supply stores.

Immune function can be supported by several nutrients. A few that come to mind right off are vitamin C, vitamin E, and Omega 3 fatty acids.  
While there is no nutritional requirement for vitamin C in dogs (because they are able to metabolize it on their own), it has been shown that some dogs don't metabolize adequate amounts to sufficently support their immune system. Supplementing immune compromised dogs is a good way to ensure they are getting enough and any extra is simply excreted via the urine.
Vitamin E helps to fight free radicals, which attack healthy cells. It also helps to prevent oxidation of fats and aids cell healing after damage (by injury, illness, or other damage).
Omega 3 fatty acids aid the body in preventing inflammation. They also improve cardiac and brain function, as well as, aiding other organs (such as the skin). Allergic response's are basically caused by a weakened immune system and the skin responds to an allergy via inflammation.

You might want to include in your dogs diet, cranberries and blueberries. These are great for urinary tract health. They keep the urine pH at an acceptable level to prevent infection and crystal formation (which are common in white dogs).

I have no experience with the Celladvance product you are using, so I can't make any recommendations about it. I will say, there are many natural foods that are high in many of the vitamins and minerals that are necessary in your dogs diet. You might also want to consider supplementing with calcium since your dog is not eating a commercial kibble OR raw bones. Ground egg shell is an great way to add needed calcium about an 1/8 a teaspoon daily would be adequate for your dog. You can make this by saving your organic or free range egg shells, drying them in a low temp oven for about 1 hour, then grinding to a fine powder in a spice grinder or food processor (depending on the quantity your are processing). If you would like, you can use a human grade calcium supplement, but you have to grind them and use only small amounts according to the nutritional requirments http://dels.nas.edu/banr/dogs.html
Since you are very much into canine nutrition, here is another site that may be very interesting to you. There is quite a lot of very good information on this site and it may help you out a bit. http://www.dogfoodproject.com/

I hope this is a start for you, but it just such an extensive subject, it's hard to cover in one post. Please feel free to send me a private message and I'd be glad to help you further.