[Leah12345]

Did anything else change? When I went back to work I shifted to feeding one meal a day and my 1 y/o girl started throwing up. It was just bile so I started giving her a snack in the morning and she hasn’t had any problems since. She didn’t do this when she ate twice a day. This may not be related, but I am wondering if your girl’s eating cycle changed. If not, I would take my girl to the vet at this point. Good luck!

[Leah12345]

Thanks so much! I stopped the benadryl and no additional itching so I am cautiously optimistic. I agree Sue66b about buying this stuff and getting stuck with the products when they don’t work. I have gotten better at returning when possible. USA_Dog_Treats thanks so much for your help and for explaining the ingredients. I am going to stick with this while it works and then change to oil supplements later. My experience says she will need a change in a while. Thanks again and for anyone who comes later, I will try to remember to give an update in a month or so with a better informed rating of this product.

[Leah12345]

There are really knowledgeable folks here so I will defer to them and just just briefly share our itchy paws story experience. My Lhasa mix chewed her front paws and itched her ears nonstop. We found out she was allergic to poultry and white potatoes and I found a reasonable kibble that worked for her. When grandma or a neighbor gives her treats we get the paw problems again. A lot of people on this forum opt for raw, but it is just not an option for us. I will be watching to see what others have to say. Fingers crossed for you! Leah

[Leah12345]

There are more knowledgeable folks on here so I will be waiting to hear their thoughts about diet and Frontline! My two cents: My Molly too suffers from a poor beginning, but has made SO much progress. She is a rescue pup too with a variety of skin problems that stopped after changing her to a grain-free food. We went through a number of these before realizing that poultry and white potatoes were a big problem for her. She now eats Earthborn Holistic with Bison being the one protein she can tolerate. She also has a variety sensitivities to shampoos so I bathe her at home now and process of elimination has led to Pet Head easy rinse shampoo and leave in conditioner. It gets some poor reviews, but she has to be washed and this doesn’t cause problems for her.

If you do try the at-home allergy test, will you post a new thread? I would love to hear the results.

[Leah12345]

As usual…genius input. A friend tried the anxiety supplements and they didn’t help. I was really disappointed bc I planned to try them for my reactive girl. Keep us posted regarding how effective the harness lead is. Everything said in this thread is applicable to my Lhasa mix. She is an okay heeler unless she sees a “threat” and then all bets are off. I am going to research the harness lead today.

[Leah12345]

Hang in there. I have gotten a lot of good advice from folks on this site. It took a long time, but I have found a food that works for my itchy Lhasa-mix. Her main issues are white potatoes and poultry so I found a good specialty pet store (Go Pet Go in KC) where the staff knows EVERYTHING and let them guide me. It took a few tries and a few returns before I found something that works for her. Good luck!

[Leah12345]

Thanks so much theBCnut. You have been so helpful to me in the past and your thoughts are helpful here too. I started feeding her once a day today and she seems fine.

[Leah12345]

I have been wondering the same thing. My girl gets matted no matter how much we brush. Also, I would be interested in knowing if the leave in conditioners are a better choice for dogs who get matted more easily.

[Leah12345]

Thank you so much Suburban Gal! The detail was very helpful. Your schedule is very close to my work schedule and my sons’ school schedules who also walk her a few times a day. If I fed her at night, I know that she could hold it all day. I am feeling more optimistic about this. Thanks again! Leah

[Leah12345]

Yes Sue66b I am trying to manage her poo/pee routine. She poos first thing in the morning and then I feed her and she poos again about 3 or 4 hours later then we have our day. I feed her again late in the afternoon again and she poos about 3 hours later. I walk her every day so I like your idea of walking her in the morning. So I could get up let her poo, feed her, get the family and myself ready for the day, walk her, try to get her to poo again and then go to work. She goes 8+ hours without poo/pee overnight and she has never had an accident in the house since we adopted her in November. She is not destructive either. Your thoughts were very helpful Sue66b and got me thinking! Thanks! Leah

[Leah12345]

Thank you for this list and for all of the input. Very helpful!!!

[Leah12345]

Loved it and that darling pug!

[Leah12345]

So fun reading where everyone is from and I am delighted to know that so many kind, compassionate people are living around the world!

I am a lifelong Kansas City, Missourian and still just have our 11 m/o Lhasa-mix Molly that so many of you have helped me with!!!

[Leah12345]

Update: I started using one of those feeding balls that has a hole that dispenses food as she rolls it. I put half of her food in her bowl and the other half in the ball and she majorly prefers the ball. The mental work along with daily exercise means that she is calmer after the activities so I am hoping some of the fear-based aggression will reduce over time and realistic that like her mama (me), she has an anxious temperament. Thanks for everyone who helped. I am still going to take her to some training, but decided to work with her at home for a bit and start it when it feels right. 🙂

[Leah12345]

Shasta220 that is so insightful! It would have taken me forever to figure out that our girl “needs” brain activity along with physical activity. Thanks!

[Leah12345]

I am all over this idea and have been researching DIY. I have her Kong in the freezer and have been on a couple of walks today. It was her best behavior day yet!

[Leah12345]

I am working on this issue with my dog too so I will be interested in the replies!

[Leah12345]

Good! I feel like I have some direction.

Pattyvaughn (who I refer to as my Jedi master) I think you are on to something. She looks like a Lhasa mix (wish I could post a picture), but a lot of people say she looks like a small Shaggy D.A. (bearded collie), which could be the herding. We just talked about maybe she was herding and my youngest son suggested getting a flock of sheep (haha). I have been training her, but we have a way to go before I can put her through her paces when people are around. I am hopeful!

Shasta220 you are awesome. I like your term “fear-anxiety” driven aggression, which is much more descriptive. I already have her “heeling” and walks are a joy. Most of the time she is so focused on “getting there” (not sure where she thinks she is going) that she doesn’t even notice background people/dogs unless a jogger or biker goes by…and then watch out. I will definitely start doing more mental exercises, agility, and trick-training sessions.

Thank you so much Aquariangt! I am going to look for classes that might be a better fit for her than the generic classes that wont take her bc she barks and lunges at others. Is a slow feeder like a Kong with big treats that she has to maneuver to get out? She would love that and I just learned about treats on this site that won’t aggravate her allergies. I think she needs more of the things you describe and I am getting to work today.

I’m getting to work!

[Leah12345]

I love the idea of using a treadmill. Are there treadmills just for dogs or would a human treadmill suffice? My 12 lb. dog need daily exercise and our weather is iffy about 50% of the time so I would consider this if I could find some information.

[Leah12345]

Even though this is an inactive post, I wanted to add in case some new dog owner (like me!) was reading through. My dog has poultry and grains (not sure which ones) problems that lead to excessive itching, paw biting, skin bumps. Fromm’s beef and Fromm’s fish kibble are working, but I have ruled out the low rated kibbles like IAMs and purina puppy chow that I tried before finding this site and Earthborn. Pattyvaughn thank you for your input that is always thoughtful, helpful, and accurate.

[Leah12345]

Outcome: I am posting my results for anyone who is having the same problem with their dog. I tried the pumpkin (canned pure pumpkin) and so far I am having awesome results. Two tsp. of pumpkin mixed in with her Fromm kibble and the result has been 1/3 less poop, both in frequency and amount. It has only been two days, but I am hopeful. If anything changes, I will re-post, but for now I am very thankful for the help I received on this thread and I would highly recommend trying pumpkin for fiber if you are having the same problem. Leah

[Leah12345]

Thanks InkedMarie! I have learned more on this site in a week than I could have had I attended a veterinarian program! What an awesome and knowledgeable bunch!

[Leah12345]

Thanks! Everyone has been so helpful and nice that I am sure that I will continue to participate in the ways you mentioned.

[Leah12345]

Thanks Pattyvaughn. I get it now and I feel very empowered by knowledge. Thanks to all and I will be lurking on some other threads for answers and maybe to answer a question some day!

[Leah12345]

Thanks to TheNaturalDog and dchassett! I am running to the store this morning and I will pick it up. I probably would have made the same mistakes as new dog parents so I will check for ingredients to find the right cans. Thanks again and I am feeling more hopeful about finding a solution.

[Leah12345]

Thanks TheNaturalDog! I will research Merrick. Also, can you explain the canned food like pumpkin to aid digestion? I keep reading about supplementing with canned pumpkin or sweet potatoes when I am scanning threads, but don’t have any information. What is the purpose of doing it? Do I add it to her food when I feed her or is it separate? Is there a ratio or rule of thumb for how much to give her? I am guessing the pre-and pro-biotics will have directions so I am not so worried about that. Thanks for the guidance. Being a dog-mama is trickier than I remembered. Leah

[Leah12345]

Please keep us posted once you have tried the food for awhile with good results! My dog also poops a lot so I am “lurking” on these boards to try to find a quality food that causes less pooping – she is also allergic (itching) to grains and poultry. We had been using Fromm’s, but are changing even though it’s good food.

[Leah12345]

Thanks crazy4cats! I will keep those brands in mind as I do my research. I am reading through other threads and finding some good information too. Thanks again! Leah

[Leah12345]

Thank you Shasta220! I wasn’t kidding when I said I didn’t know what I was doing. What you said makes sense. I will keep fillers to a minimum. A neighbor recommended Earthborn grain-free so I will do some reading on this site about that. I like the quality of Fromm’s but she is a 12lb dog who poops at least 3 times a day and even thought the consistency is right, it is a lot of stool. Adding raw meats is a good idea. I welcome any and all suggestions!

[Leah12345]

Thanks so much crazy4cats! I think what I would fit my lifestyle best at this point would be store bought food. I am now looking for a poultry-free food with rice. I know she can tolerate rice because I have cooked for her when she had surgery with rice and no itching. I am following your suggestion and looking on the 4 and 5 star food list for ideas. Fingers crossed! And thanks again for bumping me up!

[Leah12345]

Thanks so much. This is our first dog in 15 years and we are so crazy about her, but don’t know what we are doing! I am going to talk to someone the Go Pet Go chain and if I can’t find a food, the recipes look possible. Thanks again!

[Author]

Posts