[anonymous]

Well, if your pup turns out to have environmental allergies, diagnosed by a veterinary dermatologist, you may want to advise your family member not to continue breeding the dogs, or at least consult a veterinary health care professional first. Best of luck

[anonymous]

Intradermal skin testing done by a veterinary dermatologist is the most accurate method to identify environmental allergies. Food allergies are rare, the dermatologist told me I could skip the blood test (specific to my dog’s treatment)
The ingredients you have mentioned are impossible to avoid, unless you consult a veterinary nutritionist and have a special made diet recipe. A lot of cross contamination goes on in dog food manufacturing plants.
It may be best to find a vet that you trust and work with him.
Ps: There is no cheap way out of this. Environmental allergies are complicated, there are effective treatments, they tend to be lifelong.

[anonymous]

For best results, consult a veterinary dermatologist. Get the dog properly diagnosed first, then you can evaluate your diet and treatment options.
By any chance was this a pet shop/puppy mill dog? Because a lot of breeders continue to breed dogs that have environmental allergies even though they shouldn’t. There is a genetic link.
I have an allergic dog, she is doing very well under the care of a veterinary dermatologist, sees him once a year. It’s all good. And, she tolerates a variety of foods, but does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea
Raw made her sick, emergency vet visits and all.

[Donna B]

Thanks for the replies! Winston had allergy bloodwork done through the vet’s office, spectrum labs. Can I assume these are correct? If so, even if I ignore the skin and saliva test, Winston has a number of food allergies (and yes environmental as well) that makes finding food difficult. The Zignature and Canide brands both contain foods that the bloodtest says he is allergic to. His food allergies are:
Peas
Sweet Potatoes
Pork
Soy
Oats
Peanuts
Kelp
Brewer’s yeast

thoughts?

[anonymous]

Have environmental allergies been ruled out? What you describe sounds like that’s what your dog may have vs food sensitivities.
They usually start around 1-2 years old and get worse with age. Environmental allergies tend to wax and wane making it almost impossible to tell which foods work or not.

Everyone blames the food, but I have found my dog tolerates a lot of different foods since beginning allergen specific immunotherapy (desensitization). The treatment tends to be lifelong, but no more ear infections, rashes, anal gland issues (5 years in)
The initial testing, intra dermal skin testing is expensive, maintenance isn’t that bad.

For best results, an accurate diagnosis and treatment options that work, I would make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist. Allergies are complicated and often require the expertise of a specialist.

[Susan]

Hi Donna,
I bet if you did the Salvia & Hair test again you’ll get different results, the only way to test for food intolerances/sensitivities is to do a food elimination diet, you start with 1 novel protein & 1 carbohydrate, or use the Vet diets like the Royal Canine, Hypoallergenic wet tin food, R/C HP just has a Hydrolyzed liver protein & pea fiber as the carbohydrate & is high in Omega 3 fatty acids what is needed for dogs with skin problems, then once your dog is doing well you start adding 1 new ingredient for 6 weeks, remove new ingredient if your dog has any side effects, then start again with another new ingredient, it can take from 1 day up to 6 weeks for a dog to react to an ingredient & show symptoms…
*For Skin Allergies the best test to do is the Intradermal Skin Test where they shave the fur on one side of your dogs body & then inject the allergen under his/her skin & see if he reacts, then once you know what in the environment irritates your dog they make up weekly injections to give your dog…
*Baths – bathing weekly or twice a week or daily washes off any allergens, pollens & dirt that’s on their skin.. bath relieve the dogs itchy skin I use Malaseb medicated shampoo it can be used daily.
*Food have you tried “Zignature” formula’s yet? a lot of dogs with food intolerances do really well on “Zignature”
I feed Canidae” Pure Wild Boar Canidae has limited ingredients..
Join this face book group, “Dog Issues, allergies and other information support group”
they have heaps of info, a lot of people are using the new drug called CADI injections, some people have said as soon as their dog had the CADI injections it stopped all his itching… Apoquel can cause too many side effects in dogs the makers of Apoquel make CADI….
Normally when a dog has Environment allergies they also have food intolerances/sensitivities also, my boy has both Seasonal environment allergies & food sensitivities & suffers with Intestinal problems when he’s sensitive to a food & gets red paws, itchy ears bum & skin….

[Matt A]

Brief backstory: 4 year old beagle who was completely healthy for the first 2.5 years of his life besides a slight chicken intolerance. I found 3 types of non chicken grain free dog foods that he did well on and would rotate every bag without issue. Seemingly within a few months of him being neutered he started developing protein allergies to all of his dog foods and nearly every other dog food I tried.

His symptoms are: yeast infection in his ears, licking/itchy paws, a more vibrant pink belly than normal, intense itchiness around his body with about a dozen hives on his legs, tail, and abdomen, butt scooting, and a heavy metallic smell from his rear end.

So far the only food that he can tolerate without symptoms has been Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish which seems to have had a formula change since I last purchased it. The challenging thing has been finding food without Chicken, Duck, Beef, Pork, Grains, white potatoes, or Lentils (Primarily Peas/Chickpeas). It seems as though when you go grain free you get a bunch of peas and white potatoes. Since I last purchased this food they seemingly have added white potato protein which may trigger my dogs allergies in the near future. I cannot locate a bag of the old formula nor can I locate another salmon+sweet potato formula that isn’t augmented by white potatoes and/or peas. I am getting desperate. Any help or advice is appreciated.

[anonymous]

Apoquel is prescribed for environmental allergies, not food allergies (rare) or food sensitivities that tend to fluctuate.
Hair and saliva mail in tests are a scam.
I would suggest that you take your dog to a veterinary dermatologist for testing and an accurate diagnosis and treatment options.
Environmental allergies are complicated, there is no cure but there is effective treatment.
Hope this helps http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=Allergies
and check the search engine here for allergies and see my posts,
example. /forums/topic/environmental-allergy-relief/
/forums/search/Dr+Dodds+nutriscan/

[Donna B]

I NEED HELP! My sweet boy was identified with allergies a few years ago. We found a food and he was doing well. Now he is breaking out and has to be on Apoquel. He has been on it for several months. Wanting to get him off it, I did a fur and saliva test for sensitivities. Between the two lists, I cannot find food. I even tried to make food and it was a no-go. Perhaps someone here knows of a food. Here is his list:
ALLERGIES: Pork
Soy
Oats
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Yeast
Peanut
Kelp
SENSITIVITIES:
Grains inc; rices(wht & br), corn, barley, quinoa,rye, wheat, millet,
buckwheat, spelt
Potato
Kangaroo
Lamb
Fish Oil, Fish Meal, Salmon and Trout
Green Beans
Dairy except Goat and Sheep milk
Apricots
Cucumber
Turnip
Honey
Mint
and a few other spices
Your help and suggestions are welcome!!!!!

[Donna B]

Thank you for trying to help us….

I NEED HELP! My sweet boy was identified with allergies a few years ago. We found a food and he was doing well. Now he is breaking out and has to be on Appoquel. He has been on it for several months. Wanting to get him off it, I did a fur and saliva test for sensitivities. Between the two lists, I cannot find food. I even tried to make food and it was a no-go. Perhaps someone here knows of a food. Here is his list:

ALLERGIES: Pork
Soy
Oats
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Yeast
Peanut
Kelp
Sensitivities:
Grains inc; rices(wht & br), corn, barley, quinoa,rye, wheat, millet,
buckwheat, spelt
Potato
Kangaroo
Lamb
Fish Oil, Fish Meal, Salmon and Trout
Green Beans
Dairy except Goat and Sheep milk
Apricots
Cucumber
Turnip
Honey
Mint
and a few other spices

Your help and suggestions are welcome!!!!!

[Kathy]

Hi Janel — I ended up with Zignature Zessential as her primary food for now. Their single protein foods are good as well, but she’s always done well on multi-protein source food like Acana or Orijen, so I went with the Zessential for the daily food. She really likes it and she has done well on it. It has a higher protein amount than the single protein foods by Zignature, so closer to what she was used to before. I don’t know if I’ll keep her on that for the long haul, but for now it seems to be a good choice. I know that some reviews have mentioned that it has helped their dogs with allergies, but I’m sure it all depends on the dog and what it is sensitive to. I’m sorry you and your pup also have had a rough time after Champion moved their production to Kentucky. I keep hoping I can go back to Champion and their foods, but for now I just don’t trust them.

Kathy

[Erika I]

The key to raw food (in my experience) is “take your time with it!” What I mean is, introduce new ingredients slowly and start slowly. I started my 4-year-old pug on raw food with just ground beef and ground up cooked eggs(shell and all) along with fish oil and a vitamin powder. the first week she started with a 1/2 cup of food the first day and I slowly increased the amount of food till she was at 1 cup a day. She was on this diet for about 3 months before I changed her to a more complex diet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P85BMCCboI). From my experience, raw food has its ups and downs in the beginning but once you find what works well for your puppy it is the best! Bella (my pug) at first threw up the food had lots of bad diarrhea. and even months into the new diet she had bouts of throwing up and diarrhea when I introduced new ingredients too quickly. So that is why I suggest taking your time with it. Now Bella loves it and her coat is super shiny and thick and her seasonal allergies are even better!
– I had Bella on goats milk to try and help with her allergies and it is great it helps with all kinds of things – but I found it to be unnecessary now that I have her on a balanced raw diet.

As far a spaying, I waited till Bella was about 1 year old before she had the operation. Sometimes young pups don’t do so well with the operation and Bella was so little that we felt more comfortable waiting. She went through one cycle which wasn’t bad at all…just be sure to have diapers on hand!

Hope this helps!
All the best,
Erika

[Janel H]

hi there Kathy… was wondering what you ended up trying? in the same boat as you are after being in orijen for several years. we tried Canidae pure sea but the staining on my three little white doggies send to be worse on that than orijen. we tried Acana right after they switched and had horrible allergies (one’s hair still isn’t growing back right in one spot!)to it so I’m hesitant try the new orijen 6fush formula since it seems fairly similar.

[Susan]

Hi
Food can cause yeasty smelly ears, skin & paws if the dog has food sensitivities/intolerances to certain ingredients, you need to work out what foods your dog is sensitive too, my boy can not eat chicken, barley, oats, corn, gluten corn & carrots, carrots are the worst, 20mins after eating the carrots he starts scratching his ears, shaking his head, when I didn’t know it was the carrot & kept feeding the carrots in his rissoles he’d started to get yeasty, smelly infected ears, & walked tilting his head, same as chicken he gets red smelly paws & real itchy skin & rubs bum on the floor/carpet others foods that have corn, corn gluten meal caused sloppy poo’s….
I did a food elimination diet, raw is the best to feed, or cooked or use one of the vet diets like Royal Canine, Hypoallergenic wet tin or the Royal Canine wet tin PR-Potato & Rabbit, PV-Potato & Venison, PK-Potato & Salmon, or there’s the dry kibble after eliminating all treats & just feeding raw, vet diet or your own cooked diet that has just 1 single novel protein + 1 carb when the dog ears & skin aren’t smelly & itchy anymore you start adding 1 new ingredient for 6 weeks to see if he reacts to the new ingredient, it can take food sensitivities/intolerances anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks for the dog to start reacting & showing any symptoms …..
Here’s some limited ingredient single protein kibbles & wet tin formula’s-
* “Zignature” – http://zignature.com/?page_id=333&lang=en
* “Canidae Pure” – http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
* “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb or TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon both have limited ingredients. http://www.tasteofthewild.com.au/

Join this group on face book, “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” a lot of really good info & a Dermatologist pops in every now & here’s one of her links about the “Facts & Myths about Yeast Dermatitis in dogs, scroll down to about the 7th paragraph read about food sensitivities/intolerances, http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs

[anonymous]

Per the search engine:
/forums/search/environmental+allergies/

[anonymous]

Sounds like environmental allergies. Food will not have an effect. For best results consult a veterinary dermatologist.

[Becca]

According to my vet’s expertise and my knowledge my dogs allergies are direct link to the vaccines. Look at the ingredients check the effects.

[anonymous]

There is a genetic link regarding allergies, of course vaccines should be avoided with these dogs, but did the vaccines cause the allergies? Not likely, according to science based veterinary medicine.
If you want to blame someone, how about the puppy mills, breeders and back yard breeders that continue to breed dogs regardless of genetic defects.

[Becca]

Both dogs I have now, the rescue vaccinated them to the hilt and both of them have severe allergies

[Jane L]

Totally wrong. They lived longer. Yes less vaccines which is good as after puppy shots they don’t need them from core diseases.

All dogs I ever had from 1950’s on lived 12/15 years. I knew many people with up to 18 dogs each back in the 1980’s and not one ever had allergies. And there is a massive difference between allergies and Demodex.

Now every day on my group dogs have allergies usually triggered by vaccines especially L4 but that’s another issue!

[anonymous]

No, I’m not joking. Many people did not take their pets to the vet even 20, 30, 40 years ago.
No shots, no neutering, they just disappeared one day at around 5 or 6 years of age.
Just the way it was. They weren’t tested for allergies either, poor dogs just scratched themselves to death, they called it “mange”.
Heck, many of us never saw a doctor unless it was an emergency! LOL
Things are different nowadays, diagnosis and treatment options are available, thank goodness.

[Jane L]

You must be joking. 20 years ago was not the dark ages and we went to the vet in the 60’s to 90’s and would know if a dog had cancer. Dogs also did not all have allergies then as so many do now.

Cancer is caused by the carcinogens in kibble, imported Chinese treats, over vaccination and toxic flea and tick products.

[Susan]

Hi Rich, click on this link, Clean Label Project,
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/ scroll down & read the kibbles & wet foods that had the most toxic chemicals, arsenic, lead & cadmium, most were pet foods that had fish as the main protein, last yea I started feeding Patch the “Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy, Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines made by Well Pet who make’s Wellness another kibble Patch did well on then went down hill after 2-3months, his stomach & bowel seems to know when a kibble isn’t right & something is wrong, now I know why after reading the Clean Label Project… all last year Patch was doing really well eating TOTW Roasted Lamb + different cooked foods that I add to his diet for dinner, then Spring come around, cause Patch suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies, I start to feed a fish based kibble thru the Spring & Summer months the year before I feed an Australian made kibble “Meals For Mutts” but this year I started to feed the Holistic Select G/F fish kibble instead the man at the pet shop recommended the Holistic Select he feeds it to his 2 Staffys that also have allergies then after 2-3 months Patch went down hill after eating the Holistic Select, he stopped eating it, he was doing sloppy cow pattie poos, up all hours of the night pooing, bad wind pain, whinging, I saw his vet, she put him back on the Metronidazole & I put him back on his TOTW Lamb kibble, his poo’s firmed up within 2 days.. then 1 month ago I see Holistic Select kibble on the Clean Label Project it’s 10th, contains the highest amount of harmful environment and industrial contaminants & toxins.. I nilly died & Holistic Select is a 5 star kibble on the DFA….
This is why over time it’s best to find a couple of different brands of pet food with a different protein that agree with your dogs & you rotate between the 2 or 3 brands so if 1 brand isn’t being made any more or has something wrong like toxins or lacking vitamins, not enough omega 3 etc your dogs are not on the one food long enough, eating the same food 24/7 for years & years & suffering long term health problems…..

What kibble works for one dog may not work for another dog, if your dogs were doing sloppy poo’s with jelly mucus on them it’s normally food intolerances, or the protein may be too high, after doing a food elimination diet with my boy, it was chicken, corn, corn gluten meal, barley, boiled rice he can not eat, his IBD vet specialist said when I’m looking for any kibbles or wet tin foods make sure it has 1 single protein with limited ingredients so there’s less chance he will react to an ingredient, she said if after 9-12 months he’s doing really well on the same kibble, its best to introduce new foods into his diet, sometimes a dog will start to react to an ingredient in the food you’ve been feeding for years, so I rotate kibbles now & I add different foods to his diet for dinner or as treats but I didn’t do all this straight away it has taken over 3-4 yrs to get to this point where Patch can eat anything now as long as it’s not any foods he’s sensitive too…also sometimes a 5 star food won’t be the best food for your dog, if it’s a 3 stars food & agrees with your dog & the ingredients all look good then that’s OK, Dog Food Advisor gives less stars sometimes cause the protein is under 25%, there’s nothing wrong with the kibble, but the lower the protein the more carbohydrates that kibble will have….

[anonymous]

https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
excerpt below:
Grain free diets have become all the rage in the last few years. I suspect this has stemmed from greater recognition of gluten sensitivity in humans. Most pet food companies have jumped on the band wagon following the marketing success of grain free human diets. The truth of the matter is that there are no dog or cat studies showing a health benefit to grain free foods. A myth has been perpetuated that grains are unhealthy. In fact, whole grains contribute vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and are highly digestible by dogs and cats. Allergies to grains are actually very rare, and only the Irish Setter breed has been demonstrated to have a gluten sensitivity. Many grain free diets substitute potatoes and tapioca, which have less protein, more sugar, and less fiber. And typically these come at a higher cost.

[Cameron M]

Thanks for your observations…it is good to get feed back from others who use Bravecto. My plan is to administer it as sparingly as possible giving long breaks inbetween. I am also going to keep a close eye on my gal.

Jane has made a few logical observations…her comments about the potential for the liver to try to metabolize the drug only to fail in being able to do so does raise concerns for me.

Since I have a pretty good track record of Coco’s liver enzemes rating before administerig this drug I plan on having her tested again in a month to see if her liver enzemes did indeed rise as Jane fears is a potential…I want to see exactly what is going on with my dog before deeming this 100% safe.

For now I am thinking that it is safe…lets see what I think after tests down the road. If it is causing elevated liver enzemes I’ll never give Coco another dose and I highly doubt that I will have damaged her through administering a single dose ( this might not be true with other dogs/breeds)

When thinking about this I sugest that we realize the effects of medicines varies greatly in humans. Some of us can guzzle wine with no ill effect…others take one sip and get headaches or suffer ill effects from alcohol. Same with aspirin… I might take it and be fine…you might take it and have severe stomach problems.

The trick in life is finding what works best for us individually…what foods to eat …what meds to take and what allergies we may have…I think the same holds true for dogs or any animal for that matter.

As they say in the Navy…keep a wary “weather” eye on this!

Cameron

[pitlove]

Hi Cameron-

The dog in my avatar is predisposed to seizures and has a variety of allergies and food intolerances, so I have to be careful what I give him. I’m in the south too and have been using Bravecto for a good while now with zero issues. I feel it’s a good product comparatively.

[anonymous]

Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea has no chicken. Check chewy dot com for more info.

PS: You may want to look at Natural Balance Vegetarian, as a base.
BTW: why do you think he is allergic to chicken? Have environmental allergies been ruled out?
Intrademal skin testing by a veterinary dermatologist is the only accurate way to rule out environmental allergies.

[Cameron M]

My vet gave me Bravecto for my 25 lb Cocker Spaniel…I just lost her best buddy another cocker gal due to IMT ( its a immune disorder …rapid onset and destroys the platelets…she basically bled to death after 4 transfusions and over $5000 spent).

I was very concerend about what set of my gal’s immune disorder and the vet said we never know…allergies, pollen, infection, virus BUT make sue your other gal has a safe flea med.

I heard many bad things about Bravecto and many good things…I researched this in vet journals and I am now pretty sure that all the stories one hears about how Bravecto wrecked the dogs liver or kidney or caused cancer ..are pure rubbish. The reason…Bravecto is not metablized in the liver or kidneys…instead it is excreted through the instestines and it has the exact same chemical composition going out as it does going in the mouth. Furthermore, science says it passed right through the liver and kidneys…this means your dogs body is not straining to metablize this drug..ad it does not get broken down into waste.

I’m very sorry to hear all the sad pet owners by I listen to science not conjecture…my guess is all the dogs in the sad stories had something wrong long before being given Bravecto and it is just pure chance the symptoms showed up when they did. Also…having lost my great gal just last week I know for 100% certain that us owners are always looking for a “cause” …what caused this disease or death BECAUSE we don’t want to feel guilty that maybe we missed something earlier…also some owners throught guilt want to blame themselves…oh no I shouldn’t have done this or that.

Its our human nature as doggie parents. I haven’t yet given the drug to my dog but I am planning to do so later today…and I promise to report back if there are any negative side effects

[Jenn H]

I also have a dog with severe environmental allergies.
The 1 thing that I have found to work for him in preventing, managing and relieving his symptoms is raw wildflower honey from a beekeeper neighbor. It works best if he starts getting in Feb.
I’ve tried other raw wildflower honeys when I ran out and the closest to home the better.

If/when he is having a reaction (because we ran out of his honey) there’s a whole routine we have to give him relief.

His brother also has these allergies and his people treat it differently with good success.

I can go thru the whole thing if you want. Just let me know.

[Susan]

Hi midwestdoglover, my 8yr old staffy also does REAL well on “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, after trying most of the vet diets for IBD & other brand kibbles TOTW was the only kibble that helped with his IBD & Skin Allergies, he’s nice a lean, beautiful shinny coat, no arthritis yet, nice firm poos, only 2 poos a day….

With the TOTW Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb the Kcals are nice & low at 338kcals per cup, lower Kcals per cup under 360Kcals are needed to keep their weight off + the fiber is normal at 4%, a lot of the weight management kibbles are low in protein & higher in fiber to keep them feeling fuller longer, high fiber diets make bigger poos, you need higher protein, normal fiber & normal fat %, give the TOTW a go also …

Home

[Rita O]

Switching between dog foods, not just different flavors but different makers, is a good way to ensure balanced nutrition. Apparently each brand of dog food tends to use their own propietary vitamin and mineral mix in all flavors of their food, so you are getting the same vitamin\mineral mix with the same amounts in all that brands foods. I’ve been feeding canned, and since my dog, a small terrier mix, gets her canned divided into 5 meals. I switch after one or two cans to another brand. This is contrary to what most vets recommend, but from what I read, switching brands gives a better balance and may help to prevent food allergies.

[InkedMarie]

Thanks, PitLuv. Outside of Boone’s allergies, he’s been pretty easy & healthy. Ginger will be 7 in July and she’s easy too.

[Abbie F]

I know this is an old post, but felt like I should share my 2 cents, I was a RVT for a number of yes and have an AS in vet med as well as food allergy dogs.
I can say first hand food allergies are not as uncommon as you may think. Dogs, unlike people are RARELY allergic to grains, but instead the protein source.
Does this mean that any meat food is bad for allergy dogs? No, but you need a uncommon meat source, I.e. duck, rabbit, etc.
Also, contrary to what many believe, dogs are in fact not carnivores, they are omnivores like humans. Meaning they, like us can be healthy with or without meat.
Feeding a dog a vegetarian diet? I did it with mine for the first 5 years of his life an he thrived on it. He one time got into a friends bag of chicken based dog food and oh boy did he proceed to rip himself up until his legs and stomach were lobster red. I’ll note that he was put on a limited ingredient duck and barley food at age five because after being attacked by a loose dog and suffering head and neck injuries he began having sound induced petite mal seizures and the vet recommended a diet very high in flax seed and fatty acids (which made a significant improvement). Point being he was not take off the veg diet because he was doing poorly on it.
Should you research the vegetarian food brand before starting it? Absolutely. As should you research ANY dog food brand beforehand. There are plenty of non-veg dog foods out there that are lacking in nutrients that your dog needs.

[Susan]

Hi how is your poor dog doing?? what did vet do is he on Metronidazole??
All organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea when feed too much, my boy gets diarrhea from those liver treats, Beef liver treats chicken liver treats… when I first rescued him 4-5yrs ago, I took him to the Hunter rescue second hand shop they raise money & sell worm, flea products, collars, name tag’s, toys, jackets etc everything for dogs/cats they raise money for people that don’t have the money to desex their cat & dogs, I wanted a new ID tag & a few toys for Patch & showed all the ladies my new rescue boy, the elderly ladies kept giving Patch liver treats & these were real big thick chunky black liver/beef treats, they could have been beef liver, I don’t know, anyway that night we were up all night with bad diarrhea, pain, feeling sick, I took Patch to vet next morning cause I have never had a dog get this sick, he was put on Metronidazole an antibiotic for the bowel & stomach & Royal Canine, Hydrolyzed dry vet diet just to let his bowel rest & heal, that’s when Patches new vet told me organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea, so since then I have never given him any liver, beef, or chicken liver treats again…
Years later I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet cause of his IBD & Skin allergies & he wasn’t given any organ meat or bone in his diet cause he has IBD, he was put on a probiotic & digestive enzymes & a supplement powder to balance the raw diet but the raw diet didn’t agree with Patch cause of his IBD, it cleared up his itchy skin & red paws cause we were just feeding Kangaroo with blended broccoli, apple, celery, we were starting an elimination raw diet but Patch kept feeling very sick & regurgitating the raw back up….Maybe stick with the cooked diet, I know raw is so much easier to do there’s no cooking just start with 1 lean white protein & a few blended veggies (2-3) like broccoli, apple, celery etc & only add 1-2 spoons of the blende veggies with 1 cup raw..

[Susan]

Hi Term,
normally when a dog has food sensitivities they will have environment allergies as well, my boy has Seasonal Environment Allergies, he’s bad in Spring, Summer & Autumn finally Winter we get a break, as long as he doesn’t eat any foods he’s sensitive too, he has food sensitivities to chicken, barley, beef, carrots, oats & probably more foods but it takes a while to do an elimination diet, it’s very time consuming, I tested a few foods when I did his elimination diet, mainly tested foods that are in kibbles like potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, peas, pork & the foods I mentioned above that he reacted too, food sensitivities can take 1 day up to 6 weeks to show a reaction…
I have tried the Wellness, Complete Health, Whitefish & Sweet Potatoes & Wellness, Simple Lamb & Oats, Duck & Oats, I needed a lower Kcal per cup kibble cause Patch also has IBD, the Salmon & Potatoes was too high in Kcals for Patch but that’s the one I’d try if I were you…stick with limited ingredient fish kibbles & other novel proteins like Pork, Kangaroo, Venison, Rabbit, at first Patch seem fine for the first 2 weeks while eating both of the Wellness formulas I mentioned then week 3 he started to have sloppy yellow poos & itchy lower back & bum, I think the probiotics in the Wellness didn’t agree with Patch stomach/small bowel the yellow poo is the small bowel reacting…& he was reacting to the Barley in the Whitefish & Sweet potato formula causing his itchy smelly yeasty skin & rubbing his bum on the carpet…”Sudocrem” cream is EXCELLENT when they have itchy skin, back, stomach, paws & itchy bum & bum surf on the carpet….
I would have a look at “Canidae” Pure Formulas, they have the matching wet food as well, for later on to try to see if your dog still reacts to a wet tin food, have a look at the Pure Sea kibble it’s excellent for skin problems, the omega 3 in nice & high what’s needed for skin problems & look at their new Pure Wild Boar kibble, the fat & protein is a bit lower in the Pure Wild then the Pure Sea, another really good kibble a few people say they use for their itchy dogs with food sensitivities is Zignature Kangaroo, Zignature Salmon or Whitefish they all have the matching wet tin food…. Zignature is potato free…
Next time instead of using the Apoquel ask vet/Dermatologist about the new CADI injections, the injections can last anywhere from 2 weeks up to 4 months depends on the dog…. also Baths, make sure your doing weekly baths in the hotter months, baths wash off any allergens & pollens on the skin & fur, relieving the dogs itch, I use “Malaseb” medicated shampoo on Patch, Malaseb can be used daily if needed….
Once you work out what your dog is sensitive too with food, do weekly baths, feed a diet high in omega 3 you will see a big improvement with your dog, if not then make appointment to see a Dermatologist vet & go from there, if you need any further help join this Facebook group, “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group”… a lot of information & help in this group…
Canidae – http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Zignature – http://zignature.com/?page_id=333&lang=en

[anonymous]

FAQs about house dust mite and storage mite allergies
By bringing pets into our homes, we’ve increased their exposure to these common skin irritants.
Mar 01, 2013
By Alice M. Jeromin, RPh, DVM, DACVD
DVM360 MAGAZINE
Excerpt from above article below, unable to provide direct link, if you google DMV360 MAGAZINE and then search “dust mites” at the search engine at that site it will take you to the full article.
Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.
A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners’ homes.2

[anonymous]

FAQs about house dust mite and storage mite allergies
By bringing pets into our homes, we’ve increased their exposure to these common skin irritants.
Mar 01, 2013
By Alice M. Jeromin, RPh, DVM, DACVD
DVM360 MAGAZINE
Excerpt from above article below, unable to provide direct link, if you google DMV360 MAGAZINE and then search “dust mites” at the search engine at that site it will take you to the full article.
Where are storage mites commonly found?
These particular mites (Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Acarus siro) are present in dry foods, cereals, grains, straw and cheese—i.e., substances that can get moldy. Like dust mites, storage mites can cause nonseasonal signs, including pruritus, erythema and recurrent otitis in dogs and cats. They’re well-known in humans for causing asthma and allergic rhinitis (“baker’s lung”).
Data have shown that storage mites live in conjunction with house dust mites and can be found in bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture and fabrics. One study in humans found storage mites to have overtaken dust mites as a leading source of allergy.
A popular misconception is that storage mites are present in bags of food or cereals from the manufacturer. In one study, out of 10 bags of dry dog food, one was found to have storage mites, but the rest developed the mites after being in the owners’ homes.

[Natasha C]

Have you had your dog allergy tested? It could be food allergy but it could also be a storage mite allergy. My dog has storage mite and dust mite allergy. All dry dog food has storage mites so unless you switch to wet, raw or home cooked food he may still have symptoms. Mine had the watery eyes, chronic ear infections and itching. I started cooking his food which helped tremendously. He is on apoquel too which takes care of his dust mite allergy so he stopped the constant paw licking. Also consider using a novel protein. I found after many months that my dog is also allergic to both chicken and beef, but that wasn’t obvious until I addressed his other issues. Allergy testing at least pointed me in the right direction so I could focus on the environmental allergies first and then the food allergies. Good luck!

[anonymous]

Okay, I reread your post. I sometimes get carried away when discussing allergies :/

Anyway, you could try a grain free limited ingredient food, my dogs do well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea.
However, for my allergy dog, the food is only a small part of the treatment, but in conjunction with the other treatment modalities, it works (as a base).
If you noticed positive results with the prescription food, I would go back to it, at least till the dog is stable.
Again, I still think a veterinary dermatologist would be your best bet if the symptoms continue.

[anonymous]

Apoquel is prescribed for environmental allergies. If the dog responded to the Apoquel, that’s diagnostic. Apoquel has no effect on food sensitivies or food allergies. Food allergies are rare.
Environmental allergies tend to wax and wane, some allergens are seasonal. Making it almost impossible to tell which food is working best.
Per the search engine /forums/search/allergies/
I would make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist for the best results to get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
Make sure your dog is drinking water, add a splash or presoak his kibble if he has a sensitive stomach.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by anonymous.

[anonymous]

Yep, environmental allergies tend to wax and wane. Hopefully it’s seasonal/mild and can be managed by medications such as Apoquel certain times of the year, not all year round.
A veterinary dermatologist is best. Good luck
Ps: You could try bathing with a gentle shampoo. I would not apply anything to irritated skin or mess around with over the counter meds (unless your vet says it’s okay) You could make it worse.

[anonymous]

It could be hyperpigmentation. A common symptom of environmental allergies which the other symptoms you mentioned in your first post indicate.
Only further diagnostic testing, preferably by a veterinary dermatologist can answer your questions, as there are several other conditions that could cause this and should be ruled out.
This condition went away after my dog starting allergen specific immunotherapy (desensitization). The discolored skin remains, which is normal. But, no hair loss.
She now tolerates a variety of foods and requires no meds. The ASIT is a natural solution and lifelong treatment.

[Susan]

Hi Jazzlover,
Have you increased the Omega 3 in your dog diet? tin sardines in spring water are excellent, add about 2 small sardines to the raw diet a day, how come your only feeding 1 raw meal a day? is this raw meal balanced properly, is it home made raw or premade raw diet? after adding the Sardines you watch Jazz’s skin & coat start to shine & improve….
Have you tried using High Potency Vitamin C powder for dogs? Vitamin C is a Natural Anti histamine & strengthens the immune system, we use Vitamin C in Australia, it’s also added to our dog foods, here’s the Natural Animal Solution site, I’m pretty sure Jacqueline Rudan the Naturopath does sell her products in America, the Skin Pack is really good & a good price, it will balance the raw diet if it’s homemade diet, I used it when Patch was eating a raw diet…. done the bottom of my post is a link when you have clicked on the link read about Vitamin C then go to the top & click on “Pet Health” look on your left, scroll down a bit then you’ll see “Skin System” there’s a little green arrow facing down, click on arrow & all skin conditions will come up, click on “Skin Allergies” the last one, it’s a really good read, make sure you bath weekly or twice a week or daily in the bad seasons to wash off the pollens & allergens on the skin, bathing relieve the itch I also use “Malaseb Medicated Shampoo” it’s mild & can be used daily, excellent for red paws…
For Jazz itchy lower back tail & bum area have you tried “Sudocrem” it’s a healing cream sold in the baby Section at Supermarket or Chemist, when Patch starts rolling body on carpet & bum surfing on my carpet I should bath him but some days you don’t feeling like bathing the dog so I buy the Huggies baby Wipe the Coconut Oil wipes there’s also Cucumber & Aloe. I wipe his fur down then get another coconut oil wipe & wipe his bum & around his tail area, then I apply the Sudocrem, then straight away the itch stops… When he gets his itchy bum it’s from food sensitivities, as soon as he eats something he’s sensitive too he starts rubbing his bum on carpets…
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/product/high-potency-vitamin-c/

[anonymous]

Amy,
You can find the malaseb at chewy dot com at possibly a better price. I have found that after the first year of treatment by a veterinary dermatologist, I can now alternate with other gentle shampoos with good effect.
However, I had tried malaseb before seeing the dermatologist and it didn’t help. But, in conjunction with ASIT, it did.
I stopped recommending it unless prescribed by a vet as it is expensive and people expect too much. Plus, depending on the allergies, it may not be necessary.

[Amy W]

I use Malaseb shampoo, twice a week. It is a prescription from our derm vet. (My dog is very yeasty, and allergic to her own yeast… in addition to her other environmental allergies:)

[anonymous]

It’s not just the shampoo, or just the food, or just the supplements, or just the over the counter medications, or just the prescribed medication, or just the allergen specific immunotherapy.
Allergies are very complicated, that’s why it is best to spend the money on a consult with a veterinary dermatologist, if it’s been going on for more than 1 year/4 seasons you are just spinning your wheels trying all these different things. Meanwhile, the dog is uncomfortable, possible suffering.
Peace out.
PS: My dog is bathed twice a week in conjunction with allergen specific immunotherapy.
They still have occasional flare ups. Treatment tends to be lifelong.

[anonymous]

Your welcome. Yes, there is a genetic link. In fact, the breeder is supposed to stop breeding an animal that has environmental allergies.

For the umpteenth time, the allergen specific immunotherapy solution is all natural! No meds, if it comes to that.
However, the vets have no choice to offer band aid solutions such as steroids, antibiotics and such to stop the suffering and risk of infection.
I have heard positive things about Apoquel, especially if the allergies are mild/seasonal and the dog doesn’t have to be on it year round. Every dog is different. Hope you find something that works.
PS: Once my dogs environmental allergies were under control she now tolerates a variety of foods. I never did the blood test, the dermatologist said it wasn’t necessary (specific to my dog). The intradermal skin testing is the best.

[anonymous]

Hope this helps: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

[Acroyali]

I’ve used NAET and homeopathy with excellent results. NAET is totally non-invasive, which is awesome. Please don’t ask me *how* it works, but it works. My dogs’ allergies were diet related, and all but one allergy cleared (and one became much less intense) with two sessions.

Homeopathy has amazed me time and time again, but the big secret is finding an experienced homeopath who knows the science, and finding one who doesn’t write off other assets in assisting your dogs health…some homeopaths will refuse to work with anyone who uses nutritional supplements, etc. which is something I would absolutely avoid. A good holistic vet examines the big picture and doesn’t stick rigidly to one answer only. Holistic = whole!

The most common mistake I see with homeopathy is people choosing incorrect remedies, by themselves, within 5 minutes of reading about the symptoms present and not taking into account the smaller, more subtle symptoms that would point to a different remedy. Then they claim it didn’t work, even though they took no time at all to study it themselves or seek out someone competent to help them through, who will also be knowledgeable about selecting the correct potency. It would be no different than if you or I had a headache and decided to take Zantac. When we take the wrong medication for the wrong symptoms, the problem we’re experiencing isn’t going to go away, and it would be unfair to complain and tell everyone that Zantac doesn’t work because we took it for the wrong problem. If you try a remedy and it does not work, you should consult your vet to decide on what remedy to try next.

I would also research vaccines and develop a close relationship with a trusted vet who will only vaccinate your dog if and when he needs it. I would ALSO research problems associated with any flea and/or tick prevention you may be using or have used in the past (what works good for one dog may be hurting the next), as well as things like what household cleaners you use, right down to the quality of water you put in your dogs water bowl every day. If you haven’t done so yet, I would consult with your vet about the possibility of a good blood count as well as discussing whether or not a thyroid test would be a good idea for your particular dog. Discuss immune support with your vet; not all immune support is necessarily stimulating but balancing instead.

I hope this helps you and you’re able to find someone who can help you and your dog. Allergies are a pain, but they CAN be helped.

[Amy W]

I wholeheartedly agree with all allergy specific immunotherapy. I found a veterinary dermatologist at our local university, and with many patient months (8 so far) am seeing impressive results. We used to need 2 daily apoquel AND prednisolone just to calm down the allergies when we first got my dog. Now we are down to a prescription shampoo, her immunotherapy drops, and a half an Apoquel. I will hopefully ween her off the Apoquel altogether.

It’s a really hard thing to get a grip on, and I wish you luck! It is hard to be patient. Additionally, I would like to add that I have seen a big cost SAVINGS by doing immunotherapy.

Take care!