Canidae Platinum - skin issues? (lab, shih tzu, allergy, vet)

[scorp200]

Hello - I just switched my elderly shih tzu to Canidae Platinum, and I noticed that she has more skin problems than she did before. This is not good - she definitely has allergies and was previously on Innova Senior...I wonder if it could be tied to the food, but I thought Canidae would cause less of a problem and not more. Has anyone had this experience? I need her to lose some weight, so I switched. I know it's otherwise a great food! My poor dog, she's got a lot of issues but is still perky!

[Racelady88]

Does your dog have food allergies? It could be an ingredient in the new food.

As far as weight loss, feed less and get him more exercise. Be aware of treats as well, many of them are high in empty calories.

[scorp200]

Originally Posted by Racelady88

Does your dog have food allergies? It could be an ingredient in the new food.

As far as weight loss, feed less and get him more exercise. Be aware of treats as well, many of them are high in empty calories.

I am pretty sure she does have issues with corn, but I don't think corn is in Canidae. It might just be the change in weather and all of the growth here (NC).

Unfortunately she has really bad hips so can't get a lot of exercise now!

[cleosmom]

You could try elminating all grains and going with either Innova's EVO or Nature Variety's Raw Instinct.

What excatly is going on with her skin?

[scorp200]

She gets staph infections on it - crusty looking red patches and she has hair loss. I bathe her in malaseb shampoo and she didn't have these patches when she was on Innova Senior. I might switch her back...she was on Evo for a while but the vet thought she was in danger of getting pancreatitis from it. I can't remember which lab test was abnormal, but apparently Evo can be hard for the elderly dogs to handle.

[leorah]

You may want to try gradually introducing her to a home-cooked or raw diet. I know of many dogs who just don't do well on commercial foods, even the premium brands, that perk up and thrive on a homemade diet. Here are two resources that may help you:

http://www.petdiets.com/

BARF Diet - Healthy & Natural Raw Food For Dogs & Cats, Pet Health Care Food & Nutrition Products Supply Online

Good luck!

[LingLing]

Originally Posted by scorp200

I can't remember which lab test was abnormal, but apparently Evo can be hard for the elderly dogs to handle.

Protein rich diet may not be suitable for senior dogs or dogs with liver and kidney problems (if your dog is on meat only diet all his life, it may be okay). Your vet is right. If you have time, raw diet or home cooked diet with balanced ingredients (rice and vegetables and meat) will be the best option.
My dog has bad reactions to Canidae life stage. However, this doesn't mean this food is bad. It just didn't agree with my GSD.
One more thing, protein rich diet can worsen your dog's hip problem.

[cleosmom]

What LingLing said makes sense, Canidae is a great food, just not meant for every dog.

If the Innova Senior was working, that's what I'd go with.

[deegers]

Originally Posted by cleosmom

What LingLing said makes sense, Canidae is a great food, just not meant for every dog.

If the Innova Senior was working, that's what I'd go with.

I agree with cleosmom, stick with the Innova since you say it didn't happen with that particular brand, just monitor her intake a bit more and get some more exercise. Do you do alot of treats? Treats are often a cause to weight gain if owners aren't paying attention.

Those who suggeste raw diets, in this case for a dog who's very sensitive and has some health issues. I suggest raw diets as well. Very great solution for health issues like these. Takes alittle bit more time, but it's not as hard as you might think. Very great suggestion you might want to research more. sounds like you are doing the right things though. Keep up with exercise and being consistant with the food you give. Changing foods too much can also cause difficulty in their tummies.

Good luck!

[barndog]

scorp200 -- yay! shih tzus! love them! stopping to kiss one now!

but, on topic, i can't help with the food issue, but i wanted to suggest something around the hip problem. my shih tzu developed arthritis in his hips when he was nine (as well as a heart murmur), which was a BIG problem since he still loved to sleep on both my bed and couch AND to take LONG walks.

my solution was to build a big ramp for the bed so he could just run right up on the bed and to buy a pet stroller so that when he tired out from his walks i could zoom him home without killing myself in nc's hot, humid summers. i think the bed and the stroller are a big reason why now, two years later at 11, he's still pretty trim and well-exercised.

also, my vet put him on previcox, which is the arthritis medicine that is least likely to cause an ulcer, and i can really tell a difference when he takes that in how he walks and stands. he is definitely more pain-free on the med than off.

so, you didn't ask about these things and i definitely don't want to give unwanted advice since you've probably already taken steps to deal with these problems...i just always feel really bad for other shih tzu owner whose furbabies are getting a little...older.

oh, and the allergy thing...oh my goodness, depending on what part of nc we're in (eastern or western), he can almost scratch his own skin and ears off. he's really worse in eastern nc.

good luck with the food!