? about a dog with skin allergies. (allergic, bite, treatment, diet)

[nightbird47]

My beagle had constant rash and allergy problems before I moved. We used pregnasone, and other things and nothing really helped. I lived at an apartment where they grass was manicured nearly every other day. When I moved form there to my own yard with nothing sprayed on it she has had not a single rash or breathing problem. Same food, same everything but that.

Food can cause many problems but envoirmental things effect them too. Check for the use of weed killers, pesticides and anything else sprayed where the dog can make contact too.

Short haired dogs have much more sensitive skin than longer haired ones. Always check food for the preservative used. Science diet does not use vitamine C but a chemical.

Giving the dog a quick rince off after being in grass or brush can help too. Like people they react to pollens and such.

Good luck and may the poor pooch soon feel better

[need4Trees]

"Food affects their skin and coats alot." Phoenix Lady

I agree! Toxins come out though skin/ears.

Outside environmental factors definitley could have an effect on doggie skin.

I think that just because a dog may have short hair they may not always be more sensitive than long haired, many long haired dogs could be just as sensitive, bad skin etc, we just don't always see it under that thick/long coat. i see pretty bad bad skin and sores and it is so sad that the animals consumes itself with being itchy and scratching trying to find relief.

A doggie nutritional (like Wolf is doing) and/or a Holistic vet would be a great way to go/ to start to find out the Real anwsers and treat the cause instead of just the problem!

[texdav]

Just being in a house causes alot of dog skin problems. For satrts unless they are a dog with a naturally oily coat the warm ;and dryness of a house gets to them. Then add all the carpets chemicals and other thignsa like fragrances used by many as sprays.Try butcher shop and see if he can get some bull meat.Buyt don't feed it regularly ;just to make sure he gets enough protein from red meat.Trouble with most canned meat is seen as they get loose bowel movements which is bad for a dog;because of dehydration at the normal temperatures they run.

[JenNCSU]

Originally Posted by need4Trees

Ugh. yes, this food is making condition worse, and if it wasn't getting worse it would stay, so either way the vets or getting $ and poor doggie is suffering. Been on the food for years... And the prednisone causes problems of its own.

Try Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Solid Gold... so many natural brands out there now. Try online at Only Natural Pet Supply.
also must incorporate Wet canned for too and can also cooked occasionally and freeze portions for dogie.
This will result in healthy or at healthier dogie and happy, also Less vets bills/costs. ... for the most part IMO, live longer too.

You're definitely right about those brands, they are really good and I'm sure they'd help. It's really hard, but you could try cutting out chicken from the diet for a little while, sometimes the hormones they load them up with can be hard for pets to deal with. If the dog starts improving dramatically, you may want to keep them off of it, but man is it hard to find pet treats!

I know someone who was involved in some testing for a new product that seemed to help a whole lot with skin allergies and other inflammation issues. It's a supplement (I think you just sprinkle it on food). Last time I checked the study was posted on the website. The company is Casey Petraceuticals.

[pugluvr]

Here is the link to the American Holistic Vet Mecial Assoc:
AHVMA - Home

They have a link where you can click to see if there is a holistic vet in your area. If there is not one near you, check at your local natural dog food stores. Many of these people working in there know of a vet that practices natural medicine and pushes high quality kibble or the raw diet. Or last, I'd go through your local phone book and see any of them listed specialize in acupuncture as many of these vets only push high quality kibble or raw as well. I'm on my 3rd vet and finally am happy with the office I go to. They practice acupuncture, natural remedies, raw diets, etc. The 2 vets before that wanted to vaccinate every year, only pushed Science Diet dog food and wanted to do everything they "thought" was necessary to make an extra buck.

[Woof Woof Woof!]

I'm jumping in this skin allergy thread.

What dogs need and what makes a huge difference for them are oils. Flax seed oil, primrose oil, fish oil, and vegetable oil (such as safflower oil). A proper combination of these omega 3 and 6s can make a HUGE difference in your dogs coat and skin.

Flax seed is best fresh ground, so go to Whole Foods and buy some and grind it up in your coffee grinder and put it in the freezer. Sprinkle a pinch of it on his food. It's got lots of fiber, too.

Go to Trader Joe's and pick up some Primrose Oil and Salmon Oil. You can feed these to your dog. When I took the capsules for myself, my dog waited in the bathroom, for hers as well. One for me, one for her, and so on. Both of these are good for inflammation.

Safflower oil -- get it at Whole foods. Put about a tablespoon in your dog's food every day.

Do this, and you'll probably notice a shiny coat within a WEEK -- yes, no kidding. Dry dandruff is also common in dogs, and it's usually do to a lack of proper oils in the diet.

I myself, have always had itchy skin, and I could not live without Primrose and Salmon oil. It really does make a difference.

[LittleDolphin]

Corn/wheat are common allergens for dogs..my dog had terrible skin allergies (rash/hives/itch) until I switched to a fish/sweet potato kibble. I'm currently using Blue Buffalo from Pet Smart. My vet has a similar formula for more money...

W3, above, has good suggestions re adding healthy fats to pet's diet...I do the same and his coat is very nice. No itching anymore--or chewing.

[dbarua]

My 5 year old cocker spaniel has been diagnosed with Pemphigus Foliaceus an auto immune skin disease after the dermatologist ordered a skin biopsy. The diagnosis has come after months of going back and forth with the vet. He is on a high dose of prednasone along with all the meds he was already taking and he has really improved in 8 days. Is anyone familiar with this condition?

dbarua

[MAK802]

We have an English Bulldog that had terrible itching issues with many different foods. We have since switched him to a fish protein and the difference in his coat/skin is amazing. Many dogs can't handle meat proteins, particularly chicken. Try a food like Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream or Wellness Core Ocean. Both are grain-free and have only fish as the protein sources. You will see a huge difference.

[Va-Cat]

I'm probably gonna get blasted for this opinion but I personally won't spend $54.00 and above for "premium","organic" or "natural" dog food. Ounce for ounce thats more than I spend on food for myself and my "human" family! 3 of my dogs get good old Purina One and do extremely well with it. My one dog that does have food allergies gets a homemade mix of brown rice with either venison, turkey or lamb, (depending on the season). Another thing that should be noted is that the reading I've done on canine allergies suggests that the majority of allergies in dogs are NOT food related and ARE predominantly caused by environment or airborn based allergens. I would suggest checking to see what is causing the allergy before shelling out a bunch of money on unreasonably high priced designer dog food. If it is an allergy to food based products and you are on a budget (or are just budget minded like I am), look into making up homemade foods that will accomplish the same thing at less than half the cost!