Our Megan used to get all itchy this time of year. She would end up on corticosteroids, which made her nervous and she would pant and just not settle and relax. I hated seeing her like that. A few years ago I took her to a holistic vet. He put her on a predigested dog food and some supplements. One supplement was licorice, one was an auto-immune remedy that was actually made for people. I started her on this treatment at least a month before her seasonal allergy time. It turned out that she became sensitive to that darned dog food with the predigested proteins - just after I bought a second bag of it. She would vomit after eating it. If I remember right, we had to take her in to our own vet to get her looked at for vomiting. So OUR vet says, why not do an allergy blood test? This is the same vet who was giving her prednisone every August and September! He knew we had pet health insurance and would have done anything to help her feel better. So he ran the allergy test and it came back saying she was allergic to beets, potatoes, carrots, and wheat. The way the holistic doctor explained it to us was that if she is allergic to food, that is a year-round thing. If she is not reacting year-round, it is because her immune system was not overwhelmed and was coping with that level of irritation. When you added her seasonal inhalant allergies in August and September, she was then overwhelmed, and the result was skin irritation - which seems to be the most common way that allergies of all types are seen in dogs. So, every summer we would get very diligent about her food allergies, starting in about June. That way, by August she would not be having reactions to her food and would better handle the inhalant allergies that started then. After starting this routine, we were able to control her allergies and keep her comfortable with a Benadryl pill once or twice a day.

The only symptom she has is a high ammonia smell in the litter box. Her urine never smelled so potent before. She hasn't been tinkling in the house or exhibited any unusual behaviors. But then I noticed she was going outside (in her pen) so just wanted peace of mind that she was healthy and not peeing too frequently. Other than that, the Health Meter cat litter turned green, too (should stay yellow). The package doesn't say what green means... I can't believe the first vet gave me all of that incorrect information and was trying to put my cat through dietary changes that weren't in her best interest. I don't believe her second opinion vet thinks she's going to have problems. The only thing that stood out for him was the USG levels. He said that there was an at-home treatment for hydrating a cat but didn't even feel it was necessary at this point. He said she was okay to stay on the Prairie food (I don't really have any easy options) but canned would get more fluids in her system. That is all that we are doing right now. I was going to fill up her pool this weekend to see if she'll play in it and drink some extra water, too. I would like to do some more research on food and see if she can eat something even better than the Prairie. The foods cause immediate diarrhea so I need to wait on that. Right now she appears to be battling the darn herpes virus again from the stress of going to the vets. So, I'm really trying to get as much canned in her as possible because that's how I can get the Lysine into her. It took me months to get her respiratory problems resolved, I thought she was home free.

I can't tell by your post if your husband has undergone screening to see if indeed he is a celiac. One doesn't "get there". It's a genetic issue and there is a blood test that will help with the determination of celiac. But, the catch is you have to be eating normally, with all the gluten stuff found in normal diets. I had biopsies but couldn't do the blood test. It was decided I am gluten sensitive because of the lack of blood testing. Whateverm the treatment is the same. Avoidance of the offending food. And it's EVERYWHERE! Originally I gave up gluten in an effort to help my thyroid. Wheat can aggravate autoimmune issues. The quick result was I could move easier and I just felt overall better. More recent results show really positive improvements with my thyroid and autoimmune markers. Yay. Not so yay for lipids but that is a work in progress. I have been GF for 8 years. I mention all this because it's forever and I know I don't look at food the same as before I made the change. Thinking back, I had this problem forever but it presented without any gastro issues. You may need to find a really good Gasteroenterologist and nutritionist. Celiacs and gluten sensitive people can become deficient in certain nutrients, for instance, B Vitamins. All our grains are fortified. If you eliminate them, you probably will need to supplement in a different way. I am an avid cook and baker. I have converted many recipes but it's very tricky because of chemistry. Sometimes, it's just easier to not eat it instead of being dissapointed. I have many web sites that offer gluten free recipes. For instance, chinese food is out of the question because of soy sauce. But Tamari sauce can be the basis for making my own teriaki sauce. So now I have several Asian inspired recipes. Italian, same thing. I buy rice pasta or use Spaghetti squash. I use oatmeal in my meatballs, Grind it in your food processor, blender. Then measure the same way. Just check it's not too wet or dry and adjust accordingly. Cooking takes longer and requires planning. I would suggest 14 main course recipes and rotate them every two weeks. Have a file of things you might like to try and sub them in the rotation for variety. I always keep homemade soup for lunches and one dinner. You can't go wrong with a protein and veggies. America's Test Kitchen " How can it be gluten free cookbook" is a definite winner. They give you a recipe to make your own all purpose flour. Every recipe I have tried has been wonderful, complete with pie crusts and making bread. All recipes website has many GF recipes to choose from. Gluten Free Girl and The Chef just published a book of classics remade to be gluten friendly. I have made many of their recipes with good success. Last year at Thanksgiving we were invited to relatives house. I volunteered to bring sides and desserts ( so I could eat). I even made awesome gravy and green bean casserole. There was one actualy celiac, just recently diagnosed. I think she posted a pic on facebook of this pumpkin cheesecake " slice ", like half the cake. The whole afternoon she kept coming over and asking me if she could eat all this food. She was amazed. It looked just like a normal Thanksgiving table. All it takes is time, Planning, Preparedness and a lot of work. Believe me, I am already thinking about it! Don''t look at this as what your family can't eat but as a way to make really good healthy food choices. Take your grocery store flyer and use it to plan your meals. Double up certain things, like meatballs or meatloaf so you have something in the freezer for those nights when things are crazy. Brown Rice tortillas make a decent base for individual pizzas. Test Kitchen book has a good pizza crust recipe, but it requires planning. Oatmeal: Bob's Redmill GF old fashioned oatmeal. My grocery has it in the special section for GF items. The nut allergy isn't that uncommon but does make things more difficult. You may be able to get a crust with a rice flour mixture, corn flakes or potato chips. Ghee is another option for oil/fat. It's cooked to remove the dairy solids. Many people with dairy issues can tolerate ghee. Gluten free breads are dry by chemistry nature. You won't find a prepared one that is soft and has that nice mouth feel UNLESS you make it. That will get you close but still, it's different. And it will only last that day and then you will need to freeze your bread. I have Udi's in the freezer for those times when I need it. Rudi's is also fine for me. I do find that if I am preparing a sandwich, I very lightly toast it so that it will hold together. Gluten is the glue that holds the bread together. Without it, the bread will sort of fall apart. Gluten free plain bagels make awesome croutons to go on top of GF Clam Chowder or Potato soup. If he is eating out, he can always order sort of al a carte, a protein and veggie or salad. BTW, salad dressing is dangerous. I find the only thing I can tolerate is a vinagerette. Just stick to really clean, plain food. Seasonings can be another landmind area. BTW, if you are out, tell your waiter you have food allergies. Most restaurants now have a menu just for that. I visited friends near Disney world. I only had to ask IF they had a GF menu and the chef came out to personally take my order. Disney really gets this and is so helpful. But, always ask if you are out. Don't assume it will be okay. One of my local restaurants has chili on Saturday. One would think Chili would be okay. NOT! Ask, don't assume. A celiac may or may not have a gastro issue but silently there is damage going on in the gut. For me, I am sick for days, yet no positive test. I guess the best thing is you and your family are not alone. This is more of an issue than most people would think. Start slow with just one recipe. Try to get him involved. He can't be GF just at home. Life is about choices and he needs to know how to make them. And read every label. Just because it was fine the last time you bought it doesn't mean they didn't change the formula. Shop off times, like late at night or early morning so you can read without interruption. Whole foods has a "class" where they take you around the store to show you options. A nutrionist might do the same thing. It's all so overwhelming, I know. I remember when I could eat whatever I wanted. I could go to any restaurant. No more Now I have food anxiety, geesh. It's a really good thing I like to cook otherwise I might starve or be broke from buying GF food which is always so much more expensive than the comparable non GF food. And they say it's just a fad. Wll, that just makes my blood pressure go up. Thank heavens wine is GF. BTW, liquor can be a problem so you want distilled like some Vodkas and it goes without saying normal beer is out of the question but there are some GF beers out there. Then there would be those who would say, why bother??? LOL! Best to you and yours!

"his dog treats (which is chicken jerky/dehydrated chicken breasts) are all loaded with sodium" Tammy, I lost two dogs to kidney failure within about a year of each other and I highly suspect the jerky treats I was giving them was a big part of it. I discovered later they were very high in salt. I switched to other pet treats but (and this might sound a bit gross) I always licked them to make sure they didn't taste salty. Well it was just hard to get good quality treats without salt. So I decided to try and make my own, and I bought a food dehydrator. The only thing that goes into my dogs' treats is lean meat, no flavoring, no salt, nothing so I don't need to worry about it anymore. It's actually pretty easy. I get the butcher to slice up meat nice and thin then I cut it into smaller strips and put it into the multilevel dehydrator, switch it on until they are done. I keep a bag in the fridge (not even sure if it's necessary) and put other bags into the freezer to take out when the fridge bag runs out. My dogs love them, no added flavors or salt needed.