[Bonnie R]

Don’t know that I have much to offer except that I would avoid Canidea due to the fact that it’s under the Diamond Umbrella. Most of the serious recalls & scares have been due to Diamond products; I avoid them at all costs, it may not be fair but I’m not taking any chances with my dogs. I have a Vizsla & a Weimaraner. I spent a lot of time & money making sure they came from good breeders; it would be devastating to loose one over something like poor food; of course that would be for any dog owner! Our dogs are so very special to us.

I’ve heard good things about holistic select, especially if you don’t have a pup with a lot of allergies. Have many friends that use this food; I personally use Fromm with excellent results, but I understand that’s not an option to you.

I was taught & reinforced by several vets to keep my boys on puppy kibble until close to 12 months; they really need the added nutrition, but again that’s personal choice.

Interesting about the green tea extract? Why would dog food companies add that to their food if its a questionable ingredient? That really makes absolutely no sense. I’ll have to research that further.

Good luck! Goldens are some of the best dogs ever!

[DogFoodie]

Sounds like it could definitely be environmental allergies. It wouldn’t hurt to start a diluted vinegar rinse and clean his feet each time he comes in from outside.

How old is your pup? What’s he eating and how long has he been eating it?

[Anonymous]

From the symptoms you have described it sounds like your dog has environmental allergies, if it was my dog would make an appointment with a specialist/dermatologist and get the skin testing done asap. It helps to feed a high quality limited ingredient food, my dog does well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea….but until she started ASIT, nothing helped and it kept getting worse. Use the search engine on the home page, Forums, on this site to look up allergies, I think you will find some helpful information. /forums/search/allergies/

Helpful article below:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[Kym G]

I’m not sure if this is where I should ask this or even if you can help me. I’m really confused. March of 2014 I took my seven year old MinPin to her vet for skin problems. It started out as a rash on her underbelly. Then she started getting little scabs on her body and if you scratched them off, it would take off a patch of fur. The vet gave us some antibiotics and a shampoo. The symptoms improved but came back. Once again the vet gave her antibiotics, antihistamine, vitamin e tablets for her food and said continue the shampoo. The results were great but once the antihistamine was gone she started getting rough patches on the base of her tail. It is now all over her tail and anal area. It looks scabby and black. She also has scabs on her chin and she keeps licking her paws. I also noticed that her eyes looked cloudy and red. When I took her in they said she had protein in her urine and charged me $300 for two urine tests. The results came back as to much protein in her urine. The doctor wants me to put her on some medication that she said she may have to be on the rest of her life as well as eye medications she also said she would need the remainder of her life.

I’m so sad for my baby girl (Heidi) and frustrated that she still has skin problems and now the doctor, who didn’t get rid of the skin problems, now says she needs this other medication for other problems.

I had tried several dog foods and was feeding her Instinct (Salmon) to try and rule out anything that might cause an allergy. I found out that Instinct is very high in protein. Couldn’t this lead to the protein in her urine? Maybe she doesn’t need the medication. I told the doctor about the food but she dismissed it. It still seems like a possibility to me. I really would hate for her to be on a medication if she really didn’t need it.

Now I’m back to searching for a new food that is not to high in protein but could possibly help her as well. I have a four year old MinPin too so I have to consider her diet as well. I’m at a loss and completely frustrated. Heidi is uncomfortable and I have to figure out how to help her. By trying to change her eating habits and not getting good results, I had figured the skin problems may be due to airborne allergies. Could I be wrong? Could it still be her diet?

[Susan]

Hi have you looked at “Lupo Sensitive 24/10” or “Lupo Natural Swiss Chicken” I don’t know if he can have potato flour, Lupo uses potato flour, normally when a dog has a allergy to a food its the protein in say the potatos or meat that they are allergic or intolerant too… here’s Zooplus site just put the “Lupo Natural Swiss Chicken” in the Search bar if you want to have a look at the Natural Swiss Chicken….here’s the link too Lupo Sensitive 24/10 http://www.zooplus.com/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/luposan/lupo_sensitive/304149
Another kibble is “California Natural Lamb & Rice” large bites it has just 4 ingredients you can always add a topper some sardines etc http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

[Pitlove]

I use antlers as well for my pit and I haven’t had any issues, however as far as I know my pit doesnt have any allergies. Trying to keep it that way by changing proteins a lot. I also use freeze dried raw treats with one ingredient in them. Maybe that could be something to look into for a nice healthy treat for her.

[Samantha F]

Hi Dori – I check all treats I buy for any chicken byproducts since we have determined that chicken is a big allergen for her. The cookie had: whole wheat flour, peanut butter, canola oil, rolled oats, flax seed, dried brewers yeast, turmeric and rosemary extract. I am leaning towards it being the bully stick since we tried once to switch from the Orijen 6 Fish to Orijen Regional Red and she flared up with allergic symptoms- including runny stool with mucous and blood tinged and bumps. She does great on the 6 Fish, but it would be nice to get her a mix of proteins. I always worry that someday she would develop an allergy to fish. I’m just surprised that the Benadryl I’ve been giving her the last few days hasn’t taken down the bumps more. At least they don’t seem to bother her- and they aren’t huge, but with their short coats it really makes it noticeable.

[Meg W]

I’m looking for more premium kibbles lacking the three ingredients my Great Dane is allergic to. Peas, sweet potatoes and yeast. Do you know how hard that is? He’s been getting Canine Caviar since we had him tested (twice with two separate labs), but I’d love to add some variety and the CC is sometimes hard to source.

Am about to start him on Precise, which only had selenium yeast as the very last ingredient, but I’m not crazy about some of the other ingredients. We’ll see. But I was hoping someone else might have suggestions. Thank you in advance!
Meg
Bifrost Farms

[Samantha F]

Hi- just found this board while looking for something to help with my 5 yr old Bella who is a blue brindle full APBT. First, we know she has chicken allergies. The first year we had her we battled with bumps. She was on and off antibiotics because the vet thought that was what would help since nothing else they tested her for showed up. She would have bumps, runny/mucousy stool, gas and an always rumbling tummy. After a lot of reading I decided to cut chicken out of her diet as I read that it was a fairly common food allergen. I changed her food to Orijen 6 Fish (we tried Orijen Regional Red and that affected her also) and I also started her on probiotic/digestive enzymes because of being on antibiotics so much. She was completely normal within 1-2 weeks. We rarely have issues unless she gets a treat with chicken meal or something. I am very careful what we or any visitors feed her. I check all treats that I buy for any kind of chicken products. I recently gave her a Bully stick and a different type of dry cookie. I’m not sure if it’s one of those or something else, but my poor baby has tons of hive looking bumps on her head, ears, underarms, etc. (one of her worst reactions yet). She rarely gets itchy when she gets them, but it looks horrible and Benadryl doesn’t seem to be helping. The only other thing we’ve added to her food is Answers Raw Goats milk, but she has been getting that for about 2+ months – so I doubt it’s that. Any ideas on how to bring down these hives would be greatly appreciated. 🙂

[Pitlove]

Hi Haley-

I have fed Fromm and I like Wellness. I too prefer their CORE line. Only problem with Wellness is their recent addition of Green Tea Extract which has been known to cause liver toxicity in dogs.

I do a rotational diet as well along with canned foods. It allows me to feed a variety of foods and its helped my dog become interested in food again. I would feed all three if I were you. Get medium size bags and then switch with the next bag or use a variety of proteins within one line. Fromm has a variety of lines to choose from as well.

Feeding a rotational diet aids in maintaining a healthy stomach, avoiding allergies to one specific protein or carb source, gives your dog variety, helps keep him interested in food and prevents the adverse effects of feeding one food for too many years. Its also really fun to pick out what food your dog is going to eat next!

I used to get very hung up on having to feed only grain free, but now since he doesnt eat grain inclusive foods for long enough for them to have any bad reactions (grains can be inflammatory for some dogs) I can feed a wider variety of foods.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Pitlove.

[Ronda G]

I have an English Bulldog who has had struvite crystals in the past, she was on hills rx food for a while but I did not like the ingredients, also she has allergies. I use Solid Gold Berry Balance added to a Quality ingredient food now and that has been working except for the allergies. Just switched her to Natural Balance Legume & Duck, because it did not contain potato. her allergies have cleared some but her ph levels are high, I check them regular because of her history. If anybody has any recommendations on a low protein, low phosphorus food possibly grain free and poultry free that would be great, there are to many food to choose from. Just wondering if anybody else has had these issues.

[Jo R]

To Fly T
My 17 year old Bull Terrier has had severe grass allergies her entire life. Did everything, foot soaks, medications, etc. She also is prone to pancreatitis and has had digestive issues. I began giving her Kerfir this spring and so far, no allergy symptoms. Her feet are perfectly normal. Research leaky gut syndrome, at least in my Lucy’s case, I believe this was the basis of her problems and the probiotics in Kerfir have so far eliminated them. I also cook for her and have done so since the 2007 dog food disaster. Hope this helps you.

[zcRiley]

1st remove the probiotics & see what happens. My pups didn’t do well on it, even though it was supposed to help. When they became allergic to Orijen, I switched them to 5 star Zignature Zssentials. No chicken, potato or egg. All symptoms stopped in 24 hrs.

[Jack B]

The Vet suggested Royal Canin Allegenic Hydrolized Chicken Diet and that did nothing but make him strain more to go. The Vet doesn’t seem to know what to do with him. What exactly is an “elimination diet”? We actually went to a Vet clinic that specialized in Allergies. We are not “letting this go”…we are trying different things but you have to give each diet change at least a month to see what’s happening.

Just to add to my first post, the allergy/saliva test showed sensitivities to whitefish, turkey, soy and wheat. The rabbit food we were giving him was Natural Instinct Limited Ingredients Rabbit Formula. Recently we tried taking him off his normal dry food and feeding him canned chicken, with some plain yogurt, canned pumpkin and rice. We were hoping this would firm up his stool, but it’s not working too good. Should we keep him on this chicken, rice, pumkin, yogurt mix for a while?

[Jack B]

Our terrier mix has been having problems the past 2 years with his poop and we are goign crazy figuring out what to do. One day about 2 years ago we noticed some blood and mucous in his poop. We had him checked out and the Vets found nothing wrong. We can;t afford to do all the testing they want us to do, so we switched his good to a Rabbit based food and it cleared up after about 3 weeks. Then about a year later he started having blood again and his poop is very soft and sometimes mostly liquidy. He also strains to go and goes sometimes 4-6 times in one walk. We did a allergy test where you send out a piece of rope that they chew and get saliva on and the results said he was allergic to a few things, but I dont know if those tests are even accurate. We took him again to the vet and he put his on a prescription food with chicken with was supposed to be easy to digest. His poop started coming out in small nuggets but he was still straining and still had some blood. After 3 weeks we went back to his Rabbit based food and things didn’t get better. His poop get much looser and is almost always mostly liquidy and still has some blood. So what do we do now? Try a different food? What would you recommend? SHould we try a raw diet? Totally different protein souce? Why did the rabbit based food work for a while and now no? Thanks in advance.

[Anita S]

My dog Kia is exercised two/three times a day ( running for ball) but has flakes throughout her coat. There are time when she is continuously biting, scratching, gnawing herself. Ending up with several hot spots. Mostly on her back hip area. I’ve tried vet recommendation of Prescription Hill diet for nearly two months ( very expensive), but she still kept up with the scratching, gnawing, and hot spots still developed. I do give her one tablet of Mega Red for the Omega benefit at least every other day. Seems to help some, but the scratching, gnawing, biting still happening and hot spots are still present. When one heals, there is another somewhere else on her body. Not sure if its her food ( Blue wild grain free both dry and can) or allergies from something else or maybe anxiety( but from what? She is a well adjusted female dog who is loved) Please help. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration to this matter.

[Anonymous]

The most common health problems in American Eskimo Dogs:

Eye diseases are a concern in American Eskimo Dogs, especially cataracts, and also progressive retinal atrophy, which occurs at 2-6 years old and always progresses to blindness. Fortunately, a simple DNA test is available for PRA in American Eskimo Dogs, so you can find out at any time whether your dog has the disease, carries the disease, or is completely clear of it.

Allergies cause itchy skin and can lead to bacterial skin infections (pyoderma).

Orthopedic diseases in American Eskimo Dogs include luxating patella, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, and hip dysplasia. The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 750 American Eskimo Dogs and found 9% dysplastic. That’s a high.

According to the Michigan State University Thyroid Database, up to 12% of American Eskimo Dogs have hypothyroidism.

Other serious health issues in this breed include epilepsy and urinary stones.
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/americaneskimodogs.html

[Pitlove]

My dog was a picky eater before as well when I was only feeding dry because I thought it was better. Just because you prefer dry it doesnt really mean anything since you are not the one eating it. Once I added wet food into my dogs diet and sprinkled the dry on top he instantly became interested in eating again. I also change his food frequently for variety and to keep his stomach healthy and him free of getting allergies to one type of protein or carb and that has made a huge difference in his interest in eating. Wet food is also often looked at like more of a treat and I disagree with that ideology greatly as I believe it’s an essential part of their diet to make sure they are getting enough moisture in their diet. Drinking water alone is not enough.

[zcRiley]

Zignature Zssentials was a lifesaver when my dogs became allergic to Orijen Adult and stopped eating. No chicken, potato or egg & is a 5 star formula under the 4 star brand. Purina may be fun for your pup but do a gradual transitional (slowly mix in the good stuff) so she gets used to something healthier!

[Ashley F]

I just want to say thank you everyone, I learned ALOT from all of your posts. I have a 4 and a half yr. old bully named Bella, she is our only “child” 🙂 and we have fought chronic ear infections for sooo long and have done everything under the sun, or so I thought (ear washes, antibiotics etc.) But it was just brought to my attention recently by a vet about food allergies and pittys. Unfortunately I couldn’t afford allergy testing at the time, so we are trying out some different foods first to try to fix the problem. But just now through reading your posts I spotted several more symptoms of allergies that I never connected. The excessive paw licking, it drives us nuts!! But we thought it to be a nervous tick plus she is really OCD about being clean lol. And also the red bumps around the mouth from the food, we always joke about her “doggie acne” . I had almost stopped searching the internet for help, because there is normally so much info and a lot of sites say the same things in different ways, but this forum has been extremely helpful. Thank you and best of luck to all and their little ones!!!!

[Anonymous]

Atopic dermatitis is a hypersensitivity or over-reaction to a variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances in the environment such as plant pollens, house dust mites or mold spores. Most pets with atopic dermatitis either inhale or absorb their allergens through their skin. Allergy tests are used to identify what a pet is allergic to in their environment.

There are two types of allergy tests, the intradermal allergy test and blood testing for allergies (serologic allergy testing). In an intradermal allergy test, the fur is clipped on one side of the chest and very small amounts of common allergens are injected into the skin. This test is very precise and is only performed by Veterinary Dermatology services. Because most pets with environmental allergies become exposed to their allergens through their skin, the intradermal allergy test may also best simulate a pet’s natural allergies. In a blood allergy test, a blood sample is obtained and submitted to a laboratory for testing.

If a pet is diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, there are three methods of therapy. The first method of therapy involves removing the allergen from the pet’s environment. Unfortunately, this is not possible in most cases. The second method of therapy involves the use of anti-itch drugs such as anti-histamines or steroids (cortisone). Some of these anti-itch medications do not work in every pet. Other pets develop side-effects from taking certain anti-itch medications.

The third method of therapy for atopic dermatitis (environmental allergies) is allergy injections. Other names for allergy injections include desensitization, hyposensitization, allergy vaccine, or allergen-specific immunotherapy. Immunotherapy involves a series of injections of diluted allergens. Over time, these injections make a pet less sensitive to their allergens and thus less allergic. Most pet owners are able to learn how to give the injections at home. When based on the results of intradermal allergy testing, immunotherapy helps manage the allergies in approximately 70-90% of pets. Most pets will respond to immunotherapy within 6-9 months, but some pets will require up to a year of immunotherapy injections before a full benefit can be noted.
http://www.mspca.org/vet-services/angell-boston/dermatology/boston-dematology-allergies.html

[Anonymous]

If it has been going on for more than 1 year/4 seasons and the dog has not shown improvement despite food changes, frequent bathing, etc and continues to suffer.
The allergens that the dog is responding to are probably environmental, impossible to avoid and not diet related.
If you use the search engine above on the forum home page and look up “allergies” you will find a lot of my posts and some articles that are very informative.
/forums/search/allergies/

I suggest you consult a dermatologist/specialist as there are other reasons for the symptoms you describe other than food intolerances.

Helpful article below:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[Susan]

Hi Sue, my boy gets the red around the bottom of his mouth, what I did was change diet & be careful a lot of these grain free diets have Peas, Potaoes, Sweet potatoes that make skin worse, I buy the Huggies Thick Baby Wipes the Cucumber & Aloe after Patch finishes eating I get a baby wipe & wipe his bottom mouth & chin as the food & spit must irritate his skin…I also bath in Malaseb medicated shampoo weekly baths, here’s the raw diet that made Patch all better http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html scroll down till you see “Skin Allergy Diet” & click pick a protein that your girl has never eaten before also pick 2-4 veggies & 1-2 fruits, I picked Kangaroo & broccoli head, 2 carrots 5 celery sticks & 1 apple to start with…. peel then cut up veggies & fruit & put thru a mini processor & blend so the raw veggies & fruit are real fine stop before they become water/pulp, then I had to add 2 heaps spoons veggie/fruit mix to 1 cup of raw Kangaroo meat freeze the rest of the veggie/fruit mix into 2-3 spoon sections & take out the night before put in fridge for next day.. Patches red paws, stinky itchy body started to clear up within 2-3 days I couldn’t believe his red paws went away just after 2 days on the raw diet vet kept telling me he has environment allergies to pollen & grass…. then I bathed him in the Malaseb medicated shampoo its excellent & I haven’t needed to bath him for 1 month since starting the new raw diet… I don’t know if your girl has yeasty skin or environment allergies or food intolerances…Raw is best then cooked if you cant do the raw.. if you feed a kibble you need a limited ingredient hypoallergenic kibble something like “California Natural’ Hypoallergenic limited ingredient kibble.. try the Lamb & Rice it has just 4 ingredients, here’s their link to have a look they also have treats on the same page… The Science Diet Grain Free Ideal Balance has Potatoes & chicken…. if you don’t see any improvement take back for refund & get the California Natural & give that a go if you don’t want to feed a raw or cooked diet… I do both cooked for breakfast & a hypoallergenic gluten free kibble for dinner http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

[Bri H]

I just joined and was looking for an answer related to diet and skin allergies when I came upon this post so I wanted to add a comment 🙂 My dachshund had repeated bouts of Pancreatitis and I finally narrowed it down to flea medication. I have no idea why but when I would give him and flea medication within 48 hours, he would get sick. The last time was back to back after Frontline didn’t work and the vet recommended Comfortis. My dog now has EPI and I have to supplement his food with strong enzymes because his pancreas is dunzo. I have since stopped ALL flea medications and he hasn’t had it since. I would have never expected this to be a cause and never put it together until it happened twice so close together. I now feed him Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Venison w/his enzymes and he’s doing great. I hope this helps and maybe you can get to the root of your dogs issue. EPI is no fun.

[zcRiley]

My two pit bull and chinook mixes slowly became allergic to Orijen Adult. Constant gas and diarrhea. After making sure it wasn’t a medical condition, I switched to Zignature Zssentials, which has no chicken potato egg products. Stools were great the next day and they lost the bloated fat gain from other foods. Maybe it’ll work for your pup!

[Anonymous]

I am not a fan of free feeding, for tips you may find helpful see General Guidelines in this link http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I have recently discovered this site and find it informative http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

My dog with allergies and a sensitive stomach does well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea with a spoonful of cooked chicken added, plus a splash of water.

My 15 year old small breed does well on Wysong or Nutrisca kibble soaked in water overnight, a little cooked chicken added, plus water (hx of bladder stones)

I recently took the old guy in for a checkup and his lab work is better than mine, lol.
He has age related issues but otherwise healthy.

PS: I never leave food down, if they don’t eat within 20 minutes the food is picked up and put in the fridg, offered at the next mealtime.

[Mickey S]

What works for some does not work for all…I have 5 dogs, 3 being terriers, a lab and a poodle. I bought dinovite because my youngest terrier had allergies pretty bad, I took him off the food he was on and put him on taste of the wild. I switched all my dogs to this food and they love it! I was skeptical on buying the dinovite because of the price, but I had a friend who has 10 border collies and she swears by this stuff. Told me stories of how much it helped her dogs skin issues, even a neighbors dog. So I decided to just get it to help with my dogs immune systems. Well that was a huge mistake, and had I found this site before I bought it I never would have give it to them! My lab, who can eat anything and has never had any issues started itching and biting herself about 2 weeks after we started giving it to her. I thought maybe it was from the thunder storms and her nerves, so I didn’t really think much of it and just stayed with her during those times. (I have a flexible work schedule). She was fine, then I noticed it was getting worse, and she was almost eating herself. I took her to the vet and she has a bad skin yeast infection! The next week I noticed one of my terriers was licking his rear end, and non stop. I looked and his anal glad had ruptured!!! I immediately took him to the vet and they gave him antibiotics! I have since taken them off the dinovite, and they have begun to heal. But I will NEVER recommend this product to anyone. All of my dogs are very happy now that this is over with and I noticed an improvement with the two who had severe problems with it almost immediately, No itching no licking no biting. But the vet bills are insane. Hundreds of dollars wasted because I thought buying this crap was going to help them, actually made everything worse, and now I’m in debt because of it. I only wish I would have known about this site and the honest reviews. I find it funny that it’s not just my dogs who have had these issues. And just like everyone else said. Dinovite doesn’t care a bit!

[InkedMarie]

That is not a balanced diet. If feeding raw, dogs need meat, organs and bone.
Pre made raws are balanced or you can buy grinds from one of the online places (unless you have a co-op close by). Where do you live?

All dogs are different in their sensitivities/allergies. Some can eat beef, some can’t.

[Taylor C]

Thanks, Susan!
InkedMarie, I’ve been feeding her a mixture of ground beef, sweet potato or pumpkin, green beans, and black beans. I’m thinking the sweet potato and pumpkin are too starchy. And I read that beef is not good for dogs with skin allergies. I’m also worried the grass or grain or corn or whatever the livestock are feeding on is affecting her. My vet said that was very possible. I hate the thought of kibble but I’m not sure raw is working out for her either. Any suggestions??

[Cynthia R]

I noticed Horizon Pulsar Turkey is listed under Editor’s Choice suitable for large breed puppies, however; the calcium content on their website and the package label is higher than what is listed on this forum.
The editor choice page states the turkey fomula has 1.17% calcium, 0.87% phosphorus. Horizon’s states the formula has 1.5% calcium, 1.05% phosphorus.
I’m looking for limited ingredient for a mastiff puppy with potato, salmon, squash, wheat & barley allergies.

Thank you!

[aquariangt]

I keep both high quality. Minimal red ingredients is huge, and then protein levels. With Liesl, who has some allergies, she gets 50% dry and 50% wet. Dani is more 75% Dry and 25% Wet, because she can eat much higher protein kibbles. Liesl’s kibbles that she can eat are more in the 27-30% range, so I supplement with a lot more wet food. Dani is really more like 35-45% protein for her kibble

[Susan]

Hi, I saw a Naturopath 1 month ago as my boy has Skin problems & IBD from food/ allergies, Patch was put on Kangaroo mince 1 x broccoli head 2 x carrots 5 x celery sticks 1 x apple peeled, cut up then put thru a blender cause dogs cant digest raw veggies, so you need to blended & stopped just before the veggies become a pulp, then to 1 kilo mince, I added just 2-3 heap spoon of the blended veggies/fruit mix, I froze the rest of blended veggie/fruit mix into 3 spoon section & just took out & put in fridge when needed to add to the raw roo mince, I’m feeding beef mince now aswell.. roo for breakfast & beef for dinner….The naturopath has started Patch on an elimination diet & I haven’t added anything new in the diet yet just started another protein beef, I had to picked 1 protein kangaroo & 3-4 veggies & 2 fruits, less is best to start with, Patch had to stay on this diet for 1 month then I can add a new veggie & fruit.. I haven’t made another appointment yet, his smelly yeasty skin & red paws cleared up within 3 days of starting this raw elimination diet.. I also bath in Malaseb medicated shampoo as soon as he itches & started to smell, I haven’t needed to bath him for 1 month, Patch was having a bath every 5-7 days before

Do not feed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumkin, peas, & bananas they’re starchy veggies & fruit can cause itchy yeasty skin, my boy gets hive like lumps from potatoes & diarrhea, itchy ears & skin from sweet potatoes pumkin & banana… also try & stick with green veggies, broccoli, beans, celery, bok choy, zucchini etc ..I also added a digestive enzyme 1/2 capsule with breakfast the other 1/2 capsule with dinner ….Digestive enzymes help with allergies food/seasonal & yeast problems & strengthen their immune please read- http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/enzymes-for-dogs.html ….. stop everything & start again here’s the raw diet scroll down to bottom & click on “skin allergy diet”- http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html

[Taylor C]

Oh ok, I see. Yes, we did blood test and received results for food allergies and environmental/inhalants allergies. She’s allergic to several types of grasses, and while she’s not allergic to beef, I’m worried the grass or grain the cows are feeding on are indirectly affecting her in the beef she’s eating. And the same scenario for chicken (feeding on corn or grain), etc. It all just feels like a constant catch 22!

[Anonymous]

I’m not talking about the blood test, my dog never had that, as the dermatologist said it wasn’t as reliable as the skin testing for environmental allergies (which appeared to be prominent). I didn’t have any food testing done.

Well, I hope you see some results soon.

[Taylor C]

Hi Red, thanks for the response. Yes, we had her tested (they drew blood, sent it off, and results came back listing everything she was allergic to) and then the vet gave us injections (that we draw up from vials designed for her based on results) and we’ve been doing that since October. I’ve heard it can take a while to see results but we just haven’t seen any improvement. With our luck, she’ll be the 20% that doesn’t respond to the injections. But even so, I’m hoping to make as many improvements in her food and environment as I can to help reduce the symptoms. Her food especially.

[Anonymous]

By testing, do you mean IDT (Intra Dermal Test) ? ASIT helped my dog, however, it took over a year to see significant results.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

[Taylor C]

My poor boxer/pit mix has been battling allergies for years. We’ve made countless trips to the vet, been on round after round of steroids and antibiotics, and we’ve done allergy testing and injections as well. She’s been on so many rounds of medications, in fact, she developed mange because her immune system was so suppressed. So anyways, all that to say, we were fed up with medications and pricey kibble, so we switched to raw last year. We saw a slight improvement, more so in her energy level, but she’s still scratching. Like I mentioned, we had allergy tests done, so when selecting foods for her raw diet, I obviously stayed away from anything she is allergic too (mixed fish, corn, soybean, wheat, duck, and yeast). I feed her beef, green beans, black beans, and sweet potato or pumpkin. At each feeding, it add a TBSP of Apple Cider Vinegar, as well as a probiotic and Curcumin. With her still being so itchy, I’m wondering if the produce is too starchy and creating yeast?
And also, I asked my vet if (in relation to the beef I feed her) the cows are feeding on a grass or grain that she’s allergic to, could that indirectly affect her. My vet said it absolutely could, so what am I to do?!?! What protein can I give her that doesn’t feed on grass or grain?? I’m at a loss. And I really don’t want to put her on a kibble (my vet suggested Science Diet ZD) if I can help it but I’m almost wondering if a processed protein would actually affect her less? I don’t know! Any suggestions would be so greatly appreciated…thank you!!!

[Pitlove]

Hi Terry-

Dogs aren’t born with allergies, they develop them over time through overexposure to the same food. Even though you were feeding an excellent quality dehydrated raw diet, you didnt vary the proteins she got, hence the sudden onset of the allergy.

As for the myth about the wet food making the teeth worse, its just that, a myth. Every dog needs their teeth brushed regularly just like a human in order to avoid dental problems. Raw meaty bones are also probably the best thing to clean the teeth like Rhonda suggested. And if you were rehydrating the raw as you should its no different than the wet food getting on her teeth.

I would suggest keeping her on the dehyrated raw diet but changing the protein source and even brand, obviously now avoiding whatever protein she is allergic to.

[Gem M]

Please please help…. I started my two German shorthaired pointers on raw on Friday. One can’t get enough of it, the other who has always eaten fine is totally upset with it. He went from Thursday until Saturday night not touching it (mince) with me putting it down for 30 and taking it back up until that meal he ate a little with a lot of coaxing… Sunday he ate a bit for breakfast and a tiny bit this evening with coaxing. He is very underweight so we need him to have proper nutrition hence switching him to raw from Orijen. Any cheaper food makes him Ill with allergies, orijen made him loose 5kg he didn’t have but allergies healed.
I’m so worried that
A he won’t start eating a full meal again
B he will loose more weight
C he won’t accept it ever
D he will get really ill
Please can you help?

[Gem M]

Please please help…. I started my two German shorthaired pointers on raw on Friday. One can’t get enough of it, the other who has always eaten fine is totally upset with it. He went from Thursday until Saturday night not touching it (mince) with me putting it down for 30 and taking it back up until that meal he ate a little with a lot of coaxing… Sunday he ate a bit for breakfast and a tiny bit this evening with coaxing. He is very underweight so we need him to have proper nutrition hence switching him to raw from Orijen. Any cheaper food makes him Ill with allergies, orijen made him loose 5kg he didn’t have but allergies healed.

I’m so worried that
A he won’t start eating a full meal again
B he will loose more weight
C he won’t accept it ever
D he will get really ill

Please can you help?

[zcRiley]

I haven’t heard that. Your dog is lucky to have different food types per day. Can you imagine eating the same food for years and years? I feed raw dehydrated for breakfast, a 5 star kibble for lunch and another 5 star brand for dinner. As a side (not mixed in), I rotate a canned food daily. The stools are medium sized firm and I make sure the total daily amount matches their activity level for the day (lots of swimming as summer approaches!). Dasuquin Advanced as treats and deer shank bones in between. Vet visits are a thing of the past. Just watch for any allergic reactions when introducing a new food.

[Anonymous]

If it has been going on for more than 1 year/4 seasons and the dog has not shown improvement despite food changes, frequent bathing, etc and continues to suffer.
The allergens that the dog is responding to are probably environmental, impossible to avoid and not diet related.
If you use the search engine above on the forum home page and look up “allergies” you will find a lot of my posts and some articles that are very informative.

I suggest you consult a dermatologist/specialist as there are other reasons for the symptoms you describe other than food intolerances.

[Susan]

Hi Jen, what is the name of the vet diet that your dog is eating & did good on?… Vet diets are made for certain illness IBD, Food Allergies etc some diets have higher insoluble fiber & some vet diets have lower soluble fibers, lower in fat or some diets have a Hydrolized protein….

[bigthree]

I to feel your pain. I have three dogs a St Bernard and two labs. My St Bernard is the one with the food allergies. The only thing he can eat is chicken all of the other proteins he is highly allergic to. I ended up taking him to a nutritionist that specializes in food allergies for animals and after everything figured out a food plan that has been working for over a year. Yes taking him to a specialist like that is costly but I have insurance on all three of my dogs and thank goodness they picked up half of the bill. If you have to go with a prescription dog food Royal Canine is the better one, but talk to your vet that’s what they are there for.

[Autumn]

Have you tried the Royal Canin hydrolyzed diet? When Sully’s allergies appeared, my vet prescribed him this food just so we could see if his allergies were food related or an environmental allergy. My vet told me that if his symptoms did not go away after a month or two of feeding him this food, then his allergies must be environmental because no dogs can be allergic to the Royal Canin hydrolyzed food. After feeding him the RC hydrolyzed diet for about a month or two, his symptoms were completely gone. It was a remarkable improvement. Maybe you should talk to your vet about Royal Canin and try it out. You also might want to consider environmental allergies like grass or something outside.

[Lisa M]

I have a poodle that I’ve been through food and skin allergies with also, so I feel your pain. I have been going through this for six plus years, and within the last month, I came upon a lady with a holistic pet food store in Boca Raton, FL who has been invaluable. I had been feeding my dog venison and I believe he has become allergic to it. He’s also allergic to all novel proteins. She recommended rabbit and a probiotic, and it appears to have taken care of not only the allergies but the reflux he was beginning to have. Her web address is holisticpetcuisine.com. After years of reading pet food labels, and having to email the parent companies to see what “liver” or “flavor” might refer to, she speaks the language fluently. Her name is Barbara. She sometimes recommends a raw diet, which I have heard mixed feedback on from both sides, but tend to cook the food. Be sure no treats from China, and no cross over ingredients in treats that have proteins your dog might be allergic to. I feel your pain. I have found that not even vets can deal with these issues very well. Email/call Barbara. She will be a new best friend.

[Autumn]

Have you tried any novel proteins like kangaroo, rabbit, duck, buffalo etc.? Also, if you’ve been feeding grain free foods, that might be the problem. Eliminating grain free products from my Dane’s diet really made a difference with his allergies. The hydrolyzed might be your best option if you haven’t tried all the novel proteins, but it is very pricey (when Sully was on it he had no allergic reaction to it). But if you are able to afford it, I would say you should just stick with that. If I was able to keep Sully on the hydrolyzed food I would, but he went through a bag of it every two weeks and thats almost 160 dollars a month.

[Jennifer P]

I have a white Dane, Chase, who is allergic to EVERYTHING and has IBD. I have been struggling with this for over a year (15 months). It seems when I get his bowel right he turns into a hairless rat (inflamed ears, hair falls out on his face/neck, red splotches, face itching, etc.). When I get his hair/skin right he loses weight because his bowel is runny. He also has environmental allergies. He is just a big happy mess.

Anyhow, he has been on prescription foods (ID & D/D) with hydrolyzed proteins, as well as limited ingredient premium foods and non-limited ingredient premium foods. It seems like I have to change his food every 10-12 weeks as some symptom starts to appear. I feel like I am running out of options. I always use the dog food advisory site and will not try any foods below a 4 star (mind thing for me…). He is allergic to chicken, pork, fish, eggs and soybean. I have a spreadsheet with a massive amount of data about what foods he has tried, common ingredients, how long he was on them and what symptoms occurred. This is driving me insane!

My vet wants to treat him with prednisone, which we have on a few occasions. I want to find a miracle food that works for his IBD and food allergies (w. accurate protein, calcium levels etc.) – you know, so he can be normal. There is a dog nutritional clinic in Atlanta, GA and they require a referral. They said they would do a phone consultation with my vet for $175 and determine a route based on the information my vet provides them – basically the spreadsheet I have.

Before I go that route…. Has anyone else had this issue and is there a miracle food I could try? Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Did you check the search engine toward the top of this page? Look up allergies, sensitive stomach, etc.
I didn’t know it was there until recently, so rather than repeat myself, I will refer you there.
Best of luck

PS: At 15 I would focus on care and comfort….my old guy will turn 15 in July, I give him 4 small meals a day, cooked chicken and all.
I am impressed with GNC Antifungal shampoo for dogs, smells good too.

[Anonymous]

http://www.itchology.com/dog-allergy-help/dog-itchy.html

“Watching your dog suffer from allergies can be frustrating and heartbreaking. As pet parents, we want to be involved in helping our pets when they are struggling. This feature-rich app empowers YOU to take control of your dog’s allergy management and provide substantial data to your veterinarian. When you use Itchology it will help your veterinarian uncover causes of your dog’s itch and identify effective treatments”.

http://www.itchology.com/dog-allergy-help/atopic-dermatitis-faq.html

“Atopic dermatitis, one form of allergic dermatitis, is one of the most common causes of chronic itching in dogs, along with flea allergy dermatitis and food allergy. The persistent itch can make your pet miserable, even changing his personality. The symptoms may occur seasonally or throughout the year”.

“Atopic dermatitis is caused by an allergic reaction to dust mites, pollens, or molds. Symptoms can flare up with changes in the weather or with dry skin”.