[Susan]

Stay away from carbohydrates, potatos, sweet Potatos etc that’s why an elmination diet is best, you see within days when a new food is added & it irritaes their skin, with kibbles it’s so hard as there might be just one ingredient that irritates them…My friend had great success with Holistic Select Adult health Duck Meal, now she’s trying the the Adult health Lamb meal but it depends on the dog,

[Susan]

You’ll start to see a difference within 3 weeks with their skin but I believe you must also treat the outside with weekly baths with a real good oatmeal base shampoo + conditioner, I found that Malaseb medicated shampoo to be the best & I use Blackmores PAW (Pure Animal Wellbeing) Nutriderm Replenshing conditioner.. I lighty rinse off as you can leave the conditioner on to moisturise their skin .. as soon as I see Patch really scratching I bath him but since using Paw Nutriderm conditioner as well as the Malaseb shampoo Patch hasnt needed his weekly bath…
Oh Shasta I wanted to ask you do you have a good biscuit or treat recipe that’s low fat & no carbs, a limited ingredient biscuit, Im trying to put some weight on Patch as he has Pancreatitis, its hard to keep his weight steady, he’s only 16 kilos, he use to be 19-20kilos, I like my Staffys to look chunky like a little nugget, people say he looks good but I see his rib bones, he needs to gain 2-3 kilos & its so hard when he has to have a low fat diet & low carbs cause of his itch…Thank-You..

[Susan]

How do you know its food allergies?? You sure they dont have Enviornment allergies, My boy gets itchy red paws & itchy skin & he has enviornment allergies, only 1-5% of dogs will have true food allergies, Im reading a book at the moment & its rare for dogs to have food allergies, Dr Rob Zammit writes, the number of dogs that really have a food allergy is fewer than the number of dogs diagnosed with the condition, far too often, if a dog has a non-seasonal propensity to scratch it is diagnosed as having a food allergy without proper testing..the only way you’ll know if its food is you must do an elimination diet, A reasonable elimination diet is cooked rice & lamb, no snacking inbetween meals,.In the case of true food allergy improvement will be seen after 7 days with the dogs skin looking normal by the end of 3 weeks. If ur dogs improve on an elimination diet it could be useful to include additives such as polyunsaturated oil, omega oils & other natural oils found in various herbs, the critical thing is to add only 1 additive at a time. The best starting point is omega oils add this a the recommended dose for aleast 6 weeks , if there’s no deterioration in symtoms then add another additive can be given if the lamb & rice is working then the next additive should be in the form of raw bone, these must be sheep origin, so use mutton flaps, lamb necks or brisketbones from sheep again no other additives must be given for another 6 weeks. You may want to pick another meat, but only use the raw meaty bones from that animal….also bathing should be done weekly with a good oatmeal base shampoo too keep the oils in the skin, if ur using all those product they are not working maybe its a time for a change with products, I use Malaseb medicated shampoo & I saw an improvement within 3 weeks, skin started growing back also Blackmores has a excellent dog range called Paw (Pure Animal wellbeing) I also uses the Paw Nutriderm replenishing conditioner this can be left on the skin moisturising the skin weekly… The basis of the diet could become a good quality super premium dry food as long as the ingredients are similar to those used during the elimnation diet…

[Susan]

I do it sort of the same way..I think you taught me Hound dog but I was so confused at first, then I understood….
I takeaway 100% – Moisture% say moisture on tin is 78% then I takeaway 100-78= 22 thats the dry matter =22% then look on can what’s the fat, say 5% I then get the calculater & devide, I put 5 that’s the fat on tin then devide by 22 then I press the % on the calculater & u’ll get 22.727272 so the fat is about 22%..even if u just put 5 devided by 22 I still get the 0.22.727272 there’s just a 0 in front does that make sense.. I cant find a tin food that’s low enough in fat only the vet prescription diets, so I boil chicken breast & I boil pumkin that way I know what he’s eating the only problem Im having my boy has lost weight & I dont know what to feed him that doesnt have much fat & doesnt have much carbs as he gets itchy, maybe I’ll add some rice, I added pasta but he started to itch….

[Susan]

Hi again, What I do when I buy a new kibble, Patch cames to the pet shop with me (we can have dogs in Pet Barn as the shop is for them) & I show him the new kibble when we get home, then I start the new kibble as treats & give it to Patch only as a treat for a couple of days, then I mix a very little thru with his old kibble to get his tummy & bowel use to it, I only start adding under 1/4 of a cup for 1 week then if his poos look Ok & he doesnt seem to have any pain the next week I start adding more just under 1/2 a cup with his old kibble I start to know by now if he’ll get his pain from a kibble..In Lew Olson book she has a section about Picky dogs & what not to do..I also show Patch the 2 different kibbles & let him smell them both in the palm of my hands & I ask, “which one do u want to eat” & he’ll pick which hand he wants to eat, its always the newer kibble he picks cause Ive been giving it to him as a treat so he much think its special..

[Susan]

Hi, My Patchy is a little monster when he’s well & not sick, when I say monster he loves people & going shopping with me, I tie him up outside a shop & he’ll see someone & start his crying so they’ll feel sorry for him & come over to say hello, I could kill him, as the whinging can be annoying…He has to say hello to everyone a very friendly boy & loves cats, I also have a big 12 yr old cat called Jeremy, Patch loves his jeremy, he has to be in of a night or Patch wont go to bed…Its funny how these too never grow up together, Ive had Jeremy since a kitten & just got Patch over 1 yr ago they sleep together, eat together like they have grown up together, Before Patch I had rescued a beautiful boxer called Angie then I bought Jeremy as a kitten from the RSPCA, Angie was a real bad cruelty case lived at the RSPCA for 4 months before being adopted out, she was not to be rehomed with any males.. My daughter & I were looking for a dog & my daughter fell in love with her, we filled out all the forms & X our fingers that they would pick us, they had to do a home inspection & she had to go to a 8 week confidence course…I miss my Angie she was so gentle, a real lady, Patch he’s a mans dog real full on, never had any training, it seems like he’s never seen anything & everything is new to him, when I got Patch he had no fur around his neck, where a chain or rope had cut into his neck, he had rope burn marks on both left front & back legs where it look like he must of pulled & the rope & it cut into his legs.. He’s come along way in 1 yr…My animals are my kids I love them to bits..

[Susan]

Well Pet makes Wellness & Holistic Select, I found that my boy preferred the Holistic Select, I dont know why, the Holistic Select has a Puppy Grain free, Like Naturella said the R/C would of had sugars & grains & you’ve gone straight to a grain free kibble, maybe try another kibble that has some grounded rice not fully grain free yet or try another brand with a different flavour that has different ingredients to the puppy core, I noticed the Wellness Puppy Core has potatos, I find kibbles with potatos are harder & harder to digest, thats why I like a kibble with grounded rice instead of potatos..

[Susan]

When you had ur girl allergy tested what sought of test did she have, did she have the test like us humans have where they mark a part on ur back & tape sections & its left on the back for 2 days then when you go back you can see what made the skin real red & irritated.
I read that you work but maybe ur better to cook small meals & freezing about 2 weeks worth then slowly adding a new food every 2 weeks an elimantion diet cause thats alot of things to be allergic to..We are getting a animal Dermatoligist in 2 months & I’m having my boy tested but Ive heard that the blood test is a waste of money, I want him to have the human allergy test done.

[Susan]

Which senior flavour is he on as the Red meat has 7% fiber, Peas & pea fiber, the Chicken has 6% fiber & Peas.. I think the fiber is too high…I just looked at a few of their other recipes & the fiber is around 6%-7%, I think that’s too high.. Maybe change to another brand that’s lower in fiber with no peas or pea fiber & see how he goes.

[Susan]

Hi, is it his teeth or his breath that stinks…after brushing his teeth try to smell his breath about 2-4 hours after eating. My boy had real bad breath after eating, he ended up having stomach bacteria & was put on Metronidazole for 2 weeks, the Metronidazole has cleared his bad breath, now I give him a probiotic daily, also like Anne R has said about being too much fat maybe the food is just sitting in his tummy.. My boys kibble was just sitting in his tummy as he’d vomit it up 7 hours later all still formed kibbles & that was a high fat kibble that he was eating at the time that lead to the stomach bacteria..You could mix 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt thru his meals & see if that helps….

[Susan]

Hello, Its the bowel that is rumbling not their tummy, My boy was suffering rumbling of the bowel (Tummy) & vet said it was Colitis & he needed a low fat diet, since Ive had Patch on a low crude fat & low fat diet he has not had rumbling of the tummy (Colitis)… Ive also read that dogs that suffer from Colitis, Pancreatitis & IBD are better off not eating kibble as kibble is harder to digest & some kibbles are high in crude fat & very hard, Ive read that dogs are better off on a Raw diet or cooked Diet, I boil chicken Breast boiled pumkin & 1/2 egg & mash it all up so it all digested.. I buy 1 kilo of chicken breast cook then freeze, I also do the same with the pumkin, I cut up in small pieces boil then freeze, the egg I boil every second day & just take out the chicken pumkin frim freezer the night before, I still give Patch his kibble at night only but its a low residue kibble made by Eukanuba called Intestinal it breaks up easy, but if ur in America they dont sell this vet diet, its called Iams but the ingredients are different not as good as the Eukanuba Intestinal..If you dont want to cook maybe look for a lower crude fat kibble that’s not as hard, I found if the kibble has Potato or sweet potato the kibble will be hard also the grainfree kibble seem to be very hard. Just add some water to a couple of kibbles in a glass & wait 1 minute then see if u can they crush the kibble inbetween 2 spoons. A good kibble should just break up.. I found the Holistic Select adult health kibbles aren’t hard when water is added they soften within 1 minutue then I drain the water this has also helped Patch..

[Susan]

Stainless steel are suppost to be best, sturdy, long lasting & dish washer safe. Ceramic bowls are dish washer safe & can use boiling water to kill germs but they can crack & break & have micro cracks that can be a breeding ground for bacteria, Plastic bowls some dog & cats can be allergic to, dogs can chew their bowls, the plastic scratches & even with regular washing they can breed bacteria…I just human ceramic bowls for Patch, if I see any cracks I throw away.

[Susan]

I like Brunos bowls, proper ceramic bowls not plastic.. Plastic bowls are no good, they hold bacteria…..I want one for Patch…

[Susan]

I just looked up those 2 books on Amazon & they have used books as well, has anyone ever bought any of these used books from Amazon, they are 1/4 of the price…

[Susan]

I’ve never had a a dog with anal gland problem until now, when I first got Patch over 1 year ago, he was always rubbing his bum & gliding along the carpet, I thought he had worms, then the vet said its his anal glands & expressed them, she’d do it every 2 months, but the last month & a half Ive been giving Patch pumkin mixed with his chicken for breakfast & he’s stopped rubbing & gliding along the carpet. I never knew about pumkin so it has helped him..

[Susan]

I think that they work, My boy was always burping after his feed..About 2 months ago I went to one of those $2 shops & bought I think its a little plastic stool for kids to get on the toilet for $3, its level with Patches stomach so when he’s eating its in line with his mouth when I put his bowl on top & Ive noticed he’s not burping anymore like when his bowl was on the floor…I think it would help with bloat but the dog would have to eat slower & not gulp his feed…

[Susan]

Jastech, My boy or none of my dogs have never had the Parvo virus but when I was helping in dog Rescue alot of the puppies that were surrendered to pounds had or got the Parvo Virus, last year a lady in the park just got a pup, I said to her has he had his shots for Parvo she said no not yet, then about 2 weeks later a man was telling me about the poor little puppy was real sick & on a drip at the vets & I thought to myself if only she listen & had him vaccinated he wouldnt be so sick & the park wouldnt have the parvo virus in the ground, its cost them $1500 to save his life. Once my dog & cat are 5 I dont get their vaccinations no more, I believe that they build up an immune against Parvo & dont need their shots no more, there the C-3 vaccination & they only have to be vaccinated every 3 yrs, Patch just had his C-3 about 2 months ago now I wont bother having him Vaccinated again.. Ive read alot of bad things about over vaccinating..

[Susan]

Cook it, put it in boiling water for a bit or warm the raw food in the microwave maybe its too cold…

[Susan]

When health problems start with dogs the dog tells us, if she just wants wet food, I’d give her wet food instead of kibble..Kibble is hard & its harder to digest, maybe its not agreeing with her like it once did when she was younger, My boy has Chronic Pancreatitis it took me 6 months & another vet to find out he had Pancreatitis.. but I notice when I give him his cooked chicken breast pumkin & egg for breakfast he’s happier, playing being naughty but when he has his kibble he’s a different dog quiet doesnt play & looks miserable…then I read that kibble isnt good for dogs with Pancreatitis they need softer foods, foods that are easier to digest.. Im not saying ur girl has Pancreatitis, she may need something that’s easier to digest now ..Wellness has a good Senior wet food called Complete Health, its low in fat & good protein.. Also Holistic Select has a good Senior health kibble that is low in fat & fiber & has Glucosaimine she’ll need for her bones…as dogs get older they need less fiber & fat & more protein..

[Susan]

Gee dont yous have the Parvo virus in America, here in Australia we seem to have the Parvo virus real bad, alot of puppies die from Parvo, it just spreads..we don’t have Rabies & dont need Rabies shots… I believe dogs & Cats should be vaccinated for the first 2 years of their life, all it cost is $70 to visit the vet & have the C5 vaccination the vet visit is free, thats very cheap, if a dogs gets Parvo its cost around $1500 – $2000 to save their lives…

[Susan]

You said that ur dogs itch none stop, you must start with an elimination diet, I started one about 1 month ago as my boy has Pancreatitis & enviornment allergies we dont know if he has food allergies that’s why I’d say the vet suggested an elimination diet, The vet said the first month just feed boil chicken but I knew my boy could eat boil chicken so I added cooked pumkin, then when I saw he wasnt scratching or rubbing his tummy on my beautiful white rug the next week I added sweet potato within 2 days Patch was rubbing on my carpet so I stopped the sweet potato & know he cant have sweet potato or a kibble with sweet potato…. then I added pasta another NO it made him itch then I read dogs with skin problems like yeast & bacteria shouldnt eat carbohydrates, potatos, sweet potatos etc, then I added half a boiled egg & he’s been good, Im thinking of adding broccoli next.. Im reading Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson PhD she has help me understand alot of things & this group its a easy book to read & very easy recipes, she explains what foods aren’t good & what foods are good for certain illness, like Skin problems & what causes ur dog to itch, Pancreatitis Diabetes, Gastro problems, feeding senior dogs, getting a pup onto raw etc, she has cooked recipes & what supplements to add.. in the elimination diet you cannot give any treats nothing, just that one food for 2 weeks then 2 foods so on.. you must cook all vegetables so they are fully cooked, she even suggest to pulped vegetables as dogs digestive system weren’t meant to eat vegies, here’s one of her recipes for Skin allergies a Low Glycemic regular fats Diet..this is for a 50 pound dog to be divide into two or more smaller meals per day.
8 ounces 1 cup regular fat ground beef
2 ounces 1/4 cup beef liver or kidney
2 eggs scrambled or boiled
4 ounces 1/2 cup steamed or boiled broccoli
4 ounces 1/2 cup cooked yellow crookneck squash
4 ounces 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
Serve meat cooked or raw combined with cooked vegetables eggs & yogurt if serving meat cooked wait until meat & eggs have cooled before stirring in the yogurt…..
What I do is I cook once a fornight & freeze everything except the egg then put in fridge the night before to thaw for next day…

[Susan]

Well Pet makes Wellness & Holistic Select, the Holistic Select Grain free Puppy is suppost to be very good it has 4.5 stars, The Holistic Select Duck meal & Lamb meal is a hydrolized kibble so it goes nice & soft within 1 minute when you add a bit of water… I then quickly drain… They also have a good selection of wet & dry foods if you want to rotate between proteins… http://www.holisticselect.com/recipes.aspx?…

[Susan]

Oh, Im in Australia, I think in America its Called Iams Vet formula Intestinal.. I just looked up Iams Vet formula & the ingredients are different to the Eukanuba Intestinal that I buy… The Iams vet diet has chicken By-Product meal & they only sell the Intestinal plus 4% fiber, Maybe you could get the ‘Eukanuba Intestinal’ online instead you still would get a refund if it doesnt work as u have to ring for refund & they send out a check.. what ashame as I swear by the Eukanuba Intestinal my boy gained weight & does 2 perfect poos daily I know longer have to worry he’ll have the runs or he has his poo pain..

[Susan]

Have you try Vet prescription ‘Eukanuba Intestinal’, My boy was put on this last yr August when he was real sick with gastro problems its the only kibble that helped him its a low residue kibble & breaks up easy so its gentle on their tummy & intestine, Eukanuba Guarentee if ur dogs stools dont firm up within 3 days they’ll refund ur money.. there’s ‘Intestinal’ & ‘Intestinal Plus’ the Intestinal is only 1.75% crude fiber where the Intestinal Plus has 4% crude Fiber, the Intestinal plus didnt help my boy as soon as I put Patch on the Intestinal his poo firmed up.. My boy is still on the Eukanuba & Ive tried other kibbles but we always end up back on the Eukanuba Intestianal…Good-Luck try the lower fiber one first, Intestinal.

[Susan]

Try another kibble without Potatoe & see if he gets bored maybe he’s sick of the Potatos, try a ground rice kibble like ‘Holistic Select’, Holistic Select has a good range of kibbles that you can rotate keeping him happy at Breakfast & dinner..they do have a grain free but it has Potatos….

[Susan]

I just went online & looked at the cat Dermoscent ingredients as I have a cat & the ingredients are the same as the dogs Dermoscent, the cat one probabaly has less amounts so it must be OK for cats if the dog has it on himself…I might send them an Email & ask some questions…

[Susan]

‘Holistic Select’ Senior Health Chicken & Rice, Fat-10% fiber-3.50%, when I looked at the Guarenteed Analysis the only thing was the Gluosamine was higher then the other flavours but the fiber was good only 3.50% & the fat is nice & low for Pancreatitis my vet said he likes dogs with Pacreatitis to be under 9% fat I cant find a kibble that low only the vet prescription diets..I want to try this one next

[Susan]

Can I ask 2 question Raylene was ur boy eating grass at ur old place on walks or where ever he could get grass or has it just started at ur new place & after eating the grass does he throw up or have any sloppy poos or diarreha?? maybe the fat content is a bit too high at the moment for his tummy.. I’d love to feed my boy raw but he needs a low fat diet so I cook instead & freeze the meals & do kibble at night…Maybe just try for 1-2 weeks lightly boiling the meat to get out some of the fats & see if he still eats grass after cooking the meat… its worth at try just to work out is he feeling off or sick or does he just like eating grass..
When I see my boy eating grass I know he only eats grass when he’s feeling off or has his stomach acid & has to vomit or when he has Colitis he’ll eat a heap of grass then 1-2 hours later he’ll poo & diarrhea everything out of his system & clears himself out..

[Susan]

The igredients are Bio-Defussion agent, vegetable oil, neem seed oil (repels many insects) Gelling agent, Rosemary extract, Lavandin oil, clove oil, tea trea oil, Cinnamomum camphor extract, pepperment extract, cedrus atlantica bark extract, curcuma longa root extract, moroccon oregano extract, gualtheria procumbers extract, musk, tocopteryl acetate bisabolol.
Gee thats alot of oils, There is a cat one as well & the cat one can be used on rabbits & ferrets..I dont know half of these oils but Paddy do these oils look safe, is there any nasty things in these ingredients as I haven’t tried Dermoscent yet but vet said that they have great success with dogs & cats with skin problems…It says frangrance free & Dermatological and clinical tested by veterinarians.

[Susan]

I went to my vet the other day & she told me about Dermoscent Essential 6 spot-on for dogs its a unique blend of essential fatty acids & essential oils that reduces odours & moisturises dry skin & maintains coat & skin health.. Google: “Dermoscent Esssential 6 spot-on for dogs” for more info, it comes in a 4 or 6 pack.. 0-10 kilos 10-20 kilos & so on, you apply once a week for 8 weeks then once every 2nd week, I dont like giving my dog to many oils or vitamins as he has tummy problems, that’s why I like this product u put it on the back of neck inbetween their shoulder blades, I went to my Pet Barn this morning to buy a packet but they had run out, so they had to order more in or u can buy online..

[Susan]

Dogs with gastric upsets should be on high protein medium fat with limited carbohyrdrates & fiber. I prefer grounded white rice, brown rice has more fiber as it has bran in it, I dont use potatoes as my boy has allergies, Potates are no goods for yeast problems, also Ive found kibbles with potatos or sweet potatos are more hard, even when Ive sook them in water after 1 min they are still real hard, no good for digesting. Oatmeal & rice are easier to digest….I feed my boy a low residue kibble that breaks up very easy. When I add water the kibble is soft within 3 sec, then I drain the water out..I give boiled chicken, pumkin & half boil egg mashed up for breakfast giving his tummy a rest, then his kibble for dinner..his kibble is chicken turkey & grounded rice..

[Susan]

My boy has Chronic Pancreatitis & IBD & Allergies, Ive been doing alot of reading about Pancreatitis. Ive read that kibble isnt good as the Pancreas has to work harder digesting kibble putting more strain on the Pancreas, have you thought of cooking.. I’ve been boiling chicken breast & pumkin & an egg, I freeze the chicken breast in meals sizes & I freeze the little bits of pumkin, I take out the night before & put in the fridge for breakfast, I boil a egg every second day cause I only give him half boiled egg at breakfast, I shread the chicken & mash the pumkin & mash the egg all together so its all mushed up, easier to digest, also make sure any vegetables or grains are well cooked to make them easier to digest. I then warm in micro wave.. At night I give his kibble only..this has helped the chicken pumkin & egg his pain has gone that he was having under his right rib cage, he’s not coming over to me no more for me to rub his side like when I just had him on kibble.. I’d say that she’s having pain then not wanting to eat. maybe try a low fat can food if u don’t want to cook but I havent found a can food that is low enough in fat, thats why I cook..Ive read that Diabetes & pancreatitis are closely linked, Dogs with Diabetes are often prone to Pancreatitis & vice versa..here’s some Low-Glycemic vegetables you can cook with chicken breast or lean low fat ground beef broccoli or cauliflower, cabbage, summer squashes zucchini, dark leafy greens mustard greens & spinach.. I mite try adding some zucchini, I dont know about spinach I always was told if ur constipated eat spinach…Im reading a book called “Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs” by Lew Olson PhD.. it has easy recipes for Pancreatits, diabetes, bladder, liver, heart, cancer etc, she explains what not to feed when ill..also what vitamins to add, excellent read.. the book cost about $11 online..

[Susan]

Marie, its just his paws, & when the vet looked at Patch, just up his back legs he has hive like lumps.. Cause Ive only had Patch just over 1 year, last year, Sue the vet told me, Patch has Canine Atopy Dermatitis & the longer u have him, we’ll start to see a pattern form, she said, he’ll be worst either the begining of spring or summer, but in Patches case he seems to have his allergies the end of summer, she looked on her computer & went back to this time last year & guesss what, last March I was at the vets seeing another vet Johnathon about his feet & skin but they got better quicker then this time…Johnaton like to give drugs steroids & antibiotics, so I changed to see another vet Sue, she seemed to listen to me & not give drugs..she’s more into natural cures….I said to the vet, could it be food, she went thru what patch is eating & the only new thing in Patches diet is the Butternut Pumkin, Chicken he ate last year, egg he ate last yr, nothing happened, banana & biscuits he ate last year.
Ive started walking a new route on our morning walks a month ago & there’s alot of grasses, weeds & wandering dew, Patch loves to poo in bushes, I’d say that’s why his paws havn’t gotten better cause we go there every morning…Once you see a vet, she starts to clear lots of things up…things that I never thought of.. I just kept thinking its the food, also only 1 ear kept getting itchy so when he’s walking he must of brush up against a bush, then we’d walk home, I give him his breaky 1/2 to hour he’d start his licking paws & I asumued its what I just feed him…The ointment she prescribe that’s for humans ‘Mometasone Furote ointent’ is excellent, it has clear all his paws this morning they are all clear again…Im going to order on-line that Dermoscent Essential 6 spot-on as I hate giving any animal any drugs I have Auto Immune disease & I know steroids & other drugs can make u fell real yuk worst somtimes, so if I can I’ll always try to not give a drug to any animal unless its really really needed…I dont like these dog Antihistamine, it makes Patch very sleepy & I even halved the 8mg Iramine tablet last night, I gave him the other half his morning & he’s asleep now, normally he’s in the sun waiting at the door to go for our walk to the shops, oh well as long as he’s not going mad licking his paws…

[Susan]

Just come back from the vets & ur right Shasta its allergies from outside not food allergies, the vet gave him Antihistamine called Iramine 8mg for dogs as she found that the human Antihistamine dont work as good as the dog Antihistamines.. there’s a new spot on by Blackmores called Dermoscent Essential 6 spot on, u apply one pipette weekly for 8 weeks then after 8 weeks u apply every 2nd week..It bio-diffuses through the skin & is stored in the sebaceous glands then it progressively released from the sebaceous gland then distributed along the body & absorbed into the skin, This regulates trans-epidermal water loss to optimise skin hydration & maintain the cutaneous ecosyestem balance, it reduces odour & reduces dry scaly skin..she said that she see another staffy like Patch but he’s worst & she put him on goats meat with broccoli..she also prescribed a stronger hydrcortisone cream called Mometasone Furoate ointment, so hopefully Patch will get better & a new holistic vet has just joined the practise so I’ll see her next time & a Animal Dermatoligist will be coming in 2months that does the allergy patch test, I mite look into that & see what he’s allergic too…

[Susan]

Yes, his vet gave me a list of human Antihistamines last spring, when he was getting what looked like hives under his fur on his back & neck but that went away & I never bothered with the Antihistamines…I live Australia & its Autunm now & we’re having rotten raining days, I think what Shasta said is a good idea the wipes as Ive been trying not to wet his feet & keep them real dry, I dry them as soon as we walk in the door he knows his routine collar off dry feet. I do bath him weekly in his Malaseb medicated shampoo which helps heaps, but after 3 days the yeasty smell is coming back the yeasty smell started about 3 weeks ago & he was scratching one ear so I put his Dermotic ear drops in his ear & it went away… I saw a new different vet 1 month ago cause Patch was having real bad acid reflux since December & Patches old vet just put him on Zantac & carafate that worked but not 100% he was having pain on his right side under his right rib cage on & off.. the new vet looked at all Patches blood test & listen to everything that had been happening with Patch & he said it looks like Patch has IBD, Chronic Pancreatitis & skin allergies…there’s Acute Pancreatitis which is usually a one off incident from a reaction to a drug or an illness then there’s Chronic Pancreatitis is when several acute occurrences happen over time damaging the pancreas, the vet said we’ll start him on an low fat elimation diet..the first month which was March just gone, he said start with just boiled chicken, so I give just under 1 cup of shreaded boiled chicken then 1 week later I added 1 heap tablespoon of Butternut pumkin then I added 1/2 boiled egg all mashed up, for breakfast.. I still give Patch his vet prescription Eukanuba Intestinal that’s he’s been on since August, I give him his kibble at night I soften in water then drain the water, with his Intestianal kibble his skin goes good.. I found just the chicken & pumkin wasnt filling him up & he looked like he was losing weight, so I put him back on the Intestinal just at night. I want to get him off the Intestianl kibble, Ive read kibble isnt good for dogs with Chronic Pancreatitis to much work on their Pancreas, Oh, the only other thing he has is a little slice of banana in the morning & at night..thats all he eats, Chicken Butternut pumkin, egg & his kibble that is also chicken & turkey.. I thought chicken allergy but his kibble is chicken…what’s the diference with a normal pumkin & butternut pumkin. Im wondering would there be a difference..I started the elimation diet about 1 month ago then the last 3 weeks we’ve had rain..thats what makes me think its the wet grass & wet walk ways..now Im starting to think maybe the Butternut pumkin.. I dont know… I’ll see the vet this afternoon that’s Patches old vet & see what she says, she’s an American vet that came to Austraila after getting married in the 90’s.. I think she gets real confused with Patch too….he does her head in..

[Susan]

I forgot to mention Patch smells like yeast my friend said he smells of mold, I said mold, I dont give Patch sugar the only sweet thing Patch eats is Banana a few little pieces, I didnt realise that the Jazz biscuit had sugar in them but he doesnt have them anymore, Ive cut out the carbs No Potatotoes or sweet Potatoes, Patches paws got real bad 3 weeks ago, we’ve had rain on & off for over 2 weeks, I dry his paws after a walk but u cant dry in between his toes that’s where they’re real red & sores are, they look like red blisters.. I put his Apex Antibiotic cream on them & they start to get better, then the other paw starts going red & sore the next day, its like it’s spreading, one day the back paws are bad then next the front paws are bad, I think it could be from walking on the wet grass, but Ive been on the computer & he has been sleeping & all of a sudden he goes mad with the licking his paw, I look & his paw will be red swollen & we have would of went for a walk about 2 hrs before, this is why I dont know is it food or is it the wet..Ive booked an appointment with the vet this afternoon as Ive been trying to treat his paws over the 3 weeks & they get better then it rains then they seem to get sore again, I’ll see what she says, I bought him shoes but he wont walk in them, the poor thing looks like he’s walking on the moon, Its very hard cause I mite feed him & it happens or we go for a walk & it mite happen, maybe it was going to happen & Im blamming the food or the rain, the elmination diet he’s sort of on one now, no treats, no different foods, he’s on a very bland diet low fat diet cause he has Pancreatitis & IBD as well..thats why I made him the Banana cookies, as a treat, I gave one to him 1 hr ago & nothing has happened this time.. YET..

[Susan]

I give Patch 1 little biscuit at night as he was getting real bad acid reflux at night, I found if I gave him a few of his kibbles it made the acid worst, Ive been giving him 1/2 a Rice cake biscuit & he’s fine its only when the biscuit has flour or a flour that is gluten free,I think his feet swell, This morning he had his Chicken half egg & pumkin & 1/2 later the back paw went all red inbetween the pads, so maybe its just happeneing & Im blaming the food he was just sleeping then I seen him go mad & licking his back paw, last year a vet said Furunculosis, then when I saw his proper vet he said no to the Furunculosis, I think the only way to know whats happening is to have him allergy tested but I have to drive 2 hrs to Sydney for the test & Patch gets cars sick so I’v avoid this… he’ having a reaction to something, it did get worst when he started his chicken pumkin & egg I thiught chicken but his kibble is chicken & turkey & it has dried egg in it so I thought i cant be chicken & egg.. maybe its not food maybe its just happening, I dont know, Ive never had a dog that always has a health problem we fix one thing then something else starts to happen…

[Susan]

He reacated to both of the biscuits, its not the Maize as his Kibble has maize in it, it’s not the banana or egg, as he has banana & half egg daily, so Im thinking it’s that Raising agent 500 or the flour as their the only 2 ingredients that are the same in both biscuits.

[Susan]

You teach him the word “LEAVE IT” you get a treat or kibble on put it under the front of ur shoe, as soon as he goes to sniff & eat it you say “No Leave It” then wait a few sec & when he has left it & he sits you give him the treat from under ur shoe..then when u feel he understands the word ‘Leave It’ you put the treat next to your foot or close enough so if he runs to get it you can grab it before him, when he leaves it say good boy, but if he goes for it say “NO LEAVE IT”….then again when he is sitting you proceed & give him the treat, this is teaching him to only eat food from you or ur boyfriend, Patches behaviorist taught Patch & I the word “Leave it” when Patch was eating cat poo & on our walks Patch would eat things off the ground.. Im glad I taught him the word leave it as one day I was in the kitchen taking my tablets & I dropped one on the floor & Patch came over to see what fell I quickly said NO LEAVE IT.. So now when something falls on the Kitchen floor or he sees food on ur walks he always looks at me first & I say ‘OK’ or No Leave it. Train Bruno the word ‘leave it’ twice a day, until he understands to leave things …Good-Luck

[Susan]

Look for a low carb diet with moderate levels of fat & high levels of protein, recent studys have suggested help balance sugar levels in the bloodstream for the diabetes.. also carbs are harder to digest so a low carb diet mite help with the gastro problems awell…at the top of this page u see “reveiws” click on then put ‘low carb kibbles’ in search bar on the left..I just looked & Wysong Epigen 5 stars, Pinnacle peak protein formula 5 stars & Hills Science Diet Adults light 2 1/2 stars, the others were canned wet.. I dont know if they’re cheaper but someone on here may know a kibble that is similar to the 2 5 star ones & cheaper..

[Susan]

I wouldnt give a low fat kibble, Ive read that you just reduce the amount of food that ur giving them not cut down on their fat, especially if she is excercising & walking daily, if a normal fat kibble read for her weight to give say 4 cups a day, then u’d cut out about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup from her daily feed & see how her weight goes does she stay the same weight or gains or loses weight..If I cut out 1/4 a cup a day, I notice within 1-2 weeks my boy starts losing weight…when my boy was chattering his teeth he was cold..

[Susan]

Yes, Im reading a book called ‘Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs’ By Lew Olson, PhD..She recommends a Low-Glycemic diet, high in protein & fat & low Carbohydrates…there are stories through out her book, one is about a dog called Jake a Doberman/Labrador mix, who started to have seizures when he was 3 years old, Jake was whats called a “Cluster” meaning he always had multiple seizures close together, Despite trying everything from conventional medications to acupuncture, his owner Jo was unable to get the seizures under control.. After exhausting all the usual medical avenues, Jo started to look elsewhere for alternative treatments, joining an online Epilepsy group, one of the things recommened by the group was a raw diet. With nothing else left to lose Jo started Jake on a new raw diet, Within five months Jake had gone from having seven seizures every two weeks to one a month, Her vet was astonised at the drastic improvement a raw, fresh food diet had made when all the other treatments failed..There’s more on how she explains how the sugar in carbohydrates can affect epilepsy, hypothyroidism, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, & yeast infections & how a low-glycemic diet is a good defense against all of these conditions.. Dogs dont have a nutritional need for carbohydrates..there’s more to read but too much to write..she has simple recipes in her book for illnesses, its an excellent read, its online for around $10..

[Susan]

Just found the page Lew olson says, much of the time the problem can be tracted back to carbohydrates, When dogs digest grains, reserves of important bacteria in ur dogs intestines become depleted, causing essential vitamins like vitamin B & K to be passed with the faces, When a dogs eats another dogs stool he may be trying to get back the bacteria & enzymes that are missing in his diet…Carbohydrates are more difficult to digest & may pass thru the dogs system only partially digested this may also make stools more tempting to ur dog. ..So what can u do? add digestive enzyems, beneficical bacteria & a B complex vitamin to the dogs diet may help curb his drive to eat stools, Reducing or eliminating carbs can also produce smaller less “appetizing” stools in which the food is more completely digested. A diet of raw meat & bones on the other hand, produces smaller, drier, & less smelly stools.The fewer grains ur dog eats the more benficial enzymes & bacteria remain avialable to ensure stools are well-formed & almost odorless. Unripe Pineapple & papayas are rich in the enzyems ur dog needs to break down proteins, & the bromelain in pineapple can also help with inflammation & the uptake of other supplements.
If ur dog is on a grain free kibble it may have potatoes which are carbohydrates…. This book ‘Raw & Nutual Nutrition for dogs’ is an excellent read Im learning so much, explaining heaps of health problems & what to feed ur dog.. good easy recipes Raw or cooked..

[Susan]

My boy was eating the neighbours cat poo, I was going to put a muzzle on him when he went outside as it was making him ill… I saw a Dog Behavourist & she told me to make sure everytime I was outside I watched him & teach him the words “LEAVE IT”… its easy to teach ‘leave it’ u get a 1 little treat or 1 of his kibbles & put it under ur foot when the dog smells it & goes near the treat u say ‘LEAVE IT’ when the dogs leaves the threat u wait then reward him with the treat thats under ur shoe, that way he cant quickly grab the treat under ur shoe, then when he seems to understand the word LEAVE IT u leave the treat next to ur foot or nearby on floor, same let dog see treat, if he goes to eat it say ‘NO, LEAVE IT’ then when he’s has left the treat wait then give him the treat, once they have learnt the word LEAVE IT when you see them about to eat something yuk u can say leave it. Now my boy leaves poo or any food in the street on our walks…But I did change his food he was always hungry, once he was put on another kibble & I increased to 3 cups the poo eating did stop, Im reading a really good book called ‘Raw & Natural Nutrition for dogs’ by Lew Olson PhD, she explained why some dogs eat poo, now I cant find the page about why & how to fix the problem but I remember her saying their poo isnt digested properly, unprocessed food & the dog can smell food not poop, & dog eats it, Ive read elsewhere to add some pineapple to the dogs food to stop poo eating but I dont know if it works..I’m busy at the moment but tonight I’ll speed read back thru the begining if her book & try to find what Lew Olson says, I remember thinking, she’s was right & that it made sense when I locked back on why my dog was doing it, I look thru her book later,

[Susan]

I’ve always read that they must be cooked, I’d Google “are raw eggs bad for a dog”…I wish Patch was a healthy dog & could eat anything like my last girl, Kibble is so much easier then cooking.. I just did his chicken & Butternut Pumkin it took me 1 hour, thats cooking then putting in freezer bags, but now Im right for a fortnight..I boil his egg every second day as he’s on half a egg cause he’s a small the medium size..Im making him Gluten free Banana & Honey cookies tomorrow, a recipe I got of the net then if they turn out good, Im going to make up little packets of 10 cookies for $5 to sell at the Dog park.. I might make some with normal Flour for the normal dogs & the Gluten free for the dogs that cant have wheat..

[Susan]

I cook for Patch I add half boiled egg for more protein & Im slowly cutting out his kibble as kibble isn’t good for dogs with Pancreatits, wet is better to help with the digestion while the Pancreas isnt working properly & fingers X my Patchy seems to be getting better, finally, no more licking & licking his mouth all morning & looking so ill. he’s playing with himself again, oh that doesn’t sound right playing with himself lol…playing ball, thanks to reading post on here & reading heaps of good books…this site has really help me learn about dog nutrition…Thank-You

[Susan]

This book Im reading Raw & Nutural Nutrition for dogs by Lew Olson PhD, she recommends to boil the eggs, leave egg shells on a tray in warm place over night, then ground up.. If ur feeding Raw Meaty Bones they are a great source of calcium, they wont need the extra calcuim if their diet is raw, But if ur dogs aren’t on a Raw diet then..half a teaspoon of grounded egg shells sprinked on meal..Im doing this at the moment grounded up the egg shells & putting in spice jar..

[Susan]

I forgot to mention Grain Free Kibble BUT alot of the Grain free kibbles have Potatoes, the Holistic select just has Grounded White & Brown rice..or the other option is an elimination diet, the dog cant eat anything except 1 food,no treats , thats what Im doing at the moment but Ive speeded it up a bit as the vet wanted just boiled chicken for 1 month, I waited 1 week then added another food pumkin then the next week I added sweet Potatoes & he started his itching & his ears started to stink, so Ive stopped the sweet potatoes, now Ive added half a boiled egg for this week..

[Susan]

Look for kibbles that are low in Carbs, no potatoes or sweet potatoes, on top of page u’ll see reviews click on reviews then in the search bar on ur left put ‘Low Carb Kibbles’…My friend has a white Staffy when he was 6months old he got real bad yeasty itchy skin, vet put him on Vet Prescription kibble that didnt work, she tried the Wellness Complete Health White Fish & Sweet Potatoes recipe that also never help probably cause of the Sweet Potatoes, then she tried Holistic Select Adult Health Anchovy Sardines & Salmon meal dry food & the Holistic Health worked, I seen her the other day & her boy is looking beautiful, no more yeasty itchy skin..I think u’ll just need to try a few kibbles until u find a kibble that suits ur dog, also a good oatmeal based shampoo, its important to have weekly baths after bathing make a rinse half white vinegar & half water in a jug & rinse off with the vinegar + water, this kills the yeast & gets rid of any residue..Also Witch Hazel & Aloe Vera gel, Mix a 3 to 1 solution of the Witch Hazel & Aloe Vera Gel & apply to itchy areas as needed, Witch Hazel helps temporarily stop the itchiness & kill the bacteria while the Aloe Vera helps cool the skin & speed up the healing process.. Also A good Probiotic this helps fight yeast infections..

[Susan]

My boy is nail licking at the moment, Paddy, I just read about one of ur dogs having damp wet feet, I read all the time, that some dogs are allergic to chicken what happens when a dog is allergic to chicken?????… I started Patch on boiled chicken, Pumkin, half a boiled egg & sweet Potatoes about 3 weeks ago just for breakfast cause of his Pancreatitis, but now Patches back & front paws are red & sores inbetween his toes, he had this last yr the same time around late March- April & 1 vet said it was Furunculosis, but last yr it cleared up quicker & wasnt as bad.. we did have about 1 & half weeks of rain 3 weeks ago & Patch loves his walks..I dont Know is it from his boiled chicken, Ive cut out the sweet Potatos cause of the carbs, Or is it from damp wet feet from walking in the wet for over 1 week, they smell real yeasty Ive been soaking paws in Detol antiseptic water this kills the bacteria I think, but I dont like soaking his feet as I think its from water so I only soak every 3-4 days.. I was thinking of getting him shoes but I’ve never gotten them. I dont think its the chicken cause his Kibble is Chicken & turkey & his feet were fine 1 month ago, as soon as I fix one problem with Patch another problem happens poor dog he never has a break…What creams can I put on them, Im putting Hydrocortisone & antibiotic cream but its not clearing it…I dont want to see the vet again,

[Author]

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