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What different things can cause allergies in dogs?


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Today when we took our pups in for their last set of shots, and their first rabies, we asked the vet about our pup, Pepper who is itching so badly(she is ripping her fur out and we can't find out why- no fleas-etc.)and the vet told us our pup has allergies, and to change her diet as her fur is very dry( she did come to us with roundworms but has has been getting routine wormings and the vet even gave us some pipatabs today to take home).

 

She said switch to Iams or Eukanuba, but I have heard mixed reviews on those.

 

Is there any good food for itchy allergic dogs? The vet was kind of vague on some good foods we can buy.

 

I think from what I have read on the internet, that Pepper is allergic to corn or wheat or the source of protein in her food. Are BC's prone to allergies? Any thoughts?

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Dogs can definitely be allergic to grains (and protein sources) in kibble. But I would question whether a 14 week old pup was old enough to even be "allergic" to anything in his food. IMO, if a pup is reacting to food or can't tolerate an ingredient of what you are feeding, it would be manifest in other ways, such as digestive upset. I would look for an external cause first - mites, parasites, mange, or maybe an external trigger, like cedar chips or something in his environment that could be making him itch. If you eliminate external factors, then IMO the next step would be to go to an elimination diet - where you feed only one single protein (like cooked hamburger or cooked chicken) and a single carb (like cooked rice or cooked potato). What are you feeding the pups now? Could be that they just need some oil (salmon oil, fish body oil. flax seed oil) added for some extra Omega's in their diet). Don't just switch kibble brands around - that may or may not point to your problem. Especially not to something like Eukaneuba or Iams that have multiple ingredients and lots of chemical additives. Ther are kibbles out there that are specifically single protein and carb varieties. check here: http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=cal-home

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Everything Laurie said is right on. I'd make sure there were NO fleas in your environment, get her on a quality diet, (check out the link Laurie provided) and add some fish oil to her food starting now. Canned mackeral is a good source of omega 3's, and pretty inexpensive.

 

If she continues to itch, consider a visit to a veterinary dermatologist. A good specialist is worth every penny you pay, and can cut to the chase a lot sooner than a general vet.

 

Good luck!

 

Ruth n the BC3

 

Edited to add: It's possible she's allergic to pollens, grasses, dust mites, etc. Wipe her belly and paws with a damp cloth after she comes in from outside. If she's sleeping on any kind of foam rubber, get rid of it and use a towel or something you can wash a couple times a week. Vacuum regularly, do all the things you'd do for a person w/environmental allergies.

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Well, she sleeps in a bare crate.

 

We have no fleas here or on dogs. I have been checking daily, plus they have flea protection stuff on.

 

She is on a salmon and rice, based food and actually yes she does also have digestive upset. I should have mentioned that. She has intermittent diarrhea.

 

Oh, and she did have a bacterial infection. Was put on Flagyl for 10 days. Finished it like 5 days ago. The diarrhea returned when she was off of the meds the second day.

 

So I personally think that we also need to drop a fecal sample off at vet's again, and see if maybe that came back even though the vet doesnt think so and doesn't think this is related. Just a gut feeling..

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If you can afford it (and believe me, it is NOT cheap), ask your vet whether a diet of IVD food is warranted; it can only be purchased through vets. Some particularly sensitive dogs need to be on IVD Sensitive formula; Annie is one of these. For dry skin, you might also consider adding a teaspoon of safflower oil to the food; we do this with Missy, and it helps.

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IVD is now owned by Royal Canin, having been previously acquired from Heinz, and is in the family of therapeutic "prescription only" pet foods. If your vet does not carry IVD, you can call them at 1-800-466-0912 to find a local distributor so that your veterinarian can then order IVD diets for you. IVD Diets are also available through VetCentric and from RxPetFood.com; however, your vet must approve a prescription for you to be able to order this food for home delivery. Therapeutic "prescription only" foods are also produced by Hill's and Eukenuba (aka Iams).

 

Sidebar: Diets for allergies have novel proteins that the pet has not been exposed to such as kangaroo, duck, potato or venison. Therefore, prior to feeding any animal a diet specifically formulated to modify body chemistry, a veterinarian must make an appropriate medical diagnosis. For health, safety, liability and ethical reasons, veterinarians need to have exclusive domain over the use of these therapeutic products. Think of therapeutic diets as you would a drug, although they do not actually contain drugs.

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Before trying something as drastic as the IVD (which the vet you saw didn't seem to think was needed), consider just going to a simpler food with fewer grains.

 

Innova makes California Natural Chicken and Rice and Lamb and Rice. Solid Gold makes Holistique Blendz which is Menhaden fishmeal and oatmeal based (follow directions for adding more fresh meat as the low protein is inappropriate for puppies long term). Wellness and Pinnacle both make a fish (salmon I think) and sweet potato food. Natural Balance makes a Venison formula and a Duck formula.

 

Notably, my Allergy King, Ben, can eat no kibble except for the Natural Balance, Duck and Potato.

 

If you switch for a few weeks to canned food you have even more appropriate options.

 

There's also the possibility of making your own food but I'm hesitant to suggest this course for a puppy.

 

As I said before, don't forget that house dust and pollen, chemical cleaners and frangrances, and even human and cat dander, can all be additional allergens for dogs.

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Guest amylobdell24

I'm sure your vet can recommend a local allergy testing facility if you can't seem to narrow it down - just as in humans, they can tailor make an allergy serum for your pet's specific allergies. Sure, it's pricey, but by the time you spend money on vet visits, novel protein diets, allergen-free diets, special shampoos, allergy meds, steriods, and on & on & on.....sometimes it's not that much of a difference.

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Guest amylobdell24

Oh - I forgot to say - it's kinda unusual for dogs under a year of age to develop allergies (though I'm not a vet - and your clinic has seen your dog!) Have they done a skin scraping to look for mange or tested for other things like yeast or bacteria? They probably ruled those things out, but if it were my dog I'd want to know for sure before jumping on the allergy bandwagon.

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No skin scrape yet. But I have found dandruff on both dogs now!

 

So we decided to go with the Innova first, and go see a vet about a skin scrape and also drop off another stool sample. Try to tackle all those things at once.

 

Yes I vaccumm weekly- sometimes more often. We really don't use cleaners or chemicals, here. With the toddler and puppies it isn's safe.

 

The only thing I do use is Pinesol to mop and that's at night when the baby is asleep, and when the pups are put away until the floor drys.

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