Changing food due to allergy, how long to see a change? (labs, vet)
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So, I have two dogs who have been incessantly scratching for 3 weeks now.
The first one is a dog I've had for over a year. I've been feeding him 2 different kibbles, one a lamb and rice formula (Nutro) and Natural Balance Ultra Premium. He's been doing fine all this time until about 3 weeks ago when I started giving him the Nutro. He began licking and scratching his paws, legs, and now his behind. He's all stained from all that. So after a week, I bought the Natural Balance thinking he had just finished a bag, so it should alleviate the itching. It didn't.
2 weeks ago, another dog came into my home (foster). I started giving her the Natural Balance, also. Now she is scratching, too. Rescue told me to give her grain-free Natural Balance, as that is what she was eating at the other foster home.
So, both dogs have been eating grain-free Natural Balance Duck and Potato for a week. I see no difference in either dog's scratching. How long before I should notice a change in their scratching (for the better)?
I've had problems with the new Natural Balance as many have, just google. I switched to Taste of the Wild, Lamb and Rice formula and had much better luck.
Also, I don't see where you are located but there are often fall allergies related to grasses and fall blooms.
Yes, I would suspect seasonal allergies first. See how they do when winter comes. Have you tried Benadryl? About 1 mg per pound of dog, twice a day. It works better for some dogs than others. Don't know why I'm so lucky but I and most of the dogs I've had have had allergies in the late summer and fall. If they're scratching so bad they're damaging their skin the vet can try allergy shots or steroids, which are a last resort IMO.
Also did you check for fleas?
If it is environmental allergies, it also helps to bathe them more often, wash bedding more often, and rinse or use baby wipes on their paws when they come in from the outside. I hate seeing dogs miserably itchy! Good luck on figuring it out.
in terms fo foods it can take 2 weeks to 2 months to see an improvment depending on how bad the food allergies are.
however in this case given it seemed to come on so suddenly id wonder if smething else is also making its mark here...flea activity picks up around this time of year as they get ready for the winter cycle, even dogs with good flea protection on will get bitten this time of year.
and seasonal allergies can definatly be nasty in the fall.
paws are typically food allergies, the back end you is very commonly flea allergy.
Our black lab we got was on purina puppy chow at 9 weeks and we switched him to taste of the wild with good results for several months. Last winter the itching started and has scales on front legs at joints and behind her ears are also thinning. We switched to salmon and added fish oil supplement still no relief. This continued with no change after a trip to the vets. We switched foods almost 60 lbs ago to Nature's Logic Beef and still nothing...any ideas
Our black lab we got was on purina puppy chow at 9 weeks and we switched him to taste of the wild with good results for several months. Last winter the itching started and has scales on front legs at joints and behind her ears are also thinning. We switched to salmon and added fish oil supplement still no relief. This continued with no change after a trip to the vets. We switched foods almost 60 lbs ago to Nature's Logic Beef and still nothing...any ideas
Every dog is different, my girl seems to have a very severe case.
One of my senior black labs came to me with severe allergies. Did a full and expensive work up, blood to the lab to see what her biggest issues were. Then we did a 12 week food trial of Hills Science Diet Prescription Z-D. She improved a great deal on the scrip' food and we switched her to something else but she's very itchy again so I'm going with another prescription food, venison. Some improvement but I may go back to the Z-D.
Dust mites and Storage mites can be a big part of the problem. Here's some info about that:
She is also taking Allercept Therapy Drops - Allergenic Extract Prescription Product prepared by Heska, the lab that does the blood work and the drops are custom formulated for her specific issues. They will help her body adjust and tolerate what she's got the biggest problems with but it takes about a year, according to my vet. Here's a link with info about this treatment:
She gets treated with gentocin/miconazole drops in both ears twice a day. When I first got her her ears were so blocked/inflammed that the vet could not get an otoscope down in them but they are much improved now. She will need this stuff for the rest of her life.
She also takes three 25 milligram tablets of diphenhydramine twice a day as an antihistamine. I get the generic bottle by Rexall that has 365 tablets for $6.75. She will also need this for the rest of her life.
I know this is a lot of info but I hope it helps others learn about dog allergies and how to deal with them.
Although a food allergy/sensitivity might be one reason for your pup's itchiness, it could also be something else entirely.
I would put him on a limited ingredient "novel" protein diet- rabbit, venison, turkey are all possible options. If it is a food allergy, it can take some time for your dog to respond to the new diet.
But also consider that this time of the year the dry heat from the furnace can also cause itching. When my boy gets itchy in the winter from the dry heat I rub cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil into his skin which seems to really help.
Are you using any chemicals on the floors, had the carpets shampooed recently, or changed laundry detergent?
Are you bathing him? If so, he could be having a reaction to the shampoo- stop bathing and just rinse with cool/cold water.
Have you talked to your vet- I don't like using prednisone, but it does stop the itching; it could be your dog is reacting now to the secondary itchiness caused by all his scratching.
This is going to sound like a really "out there" suggestion, but sometimes itchiness can be indicative of an issue with the liver. Has he had a blood panel done recently? You can try giving him Milk Thistle to support the liver and see if that helps. I like the Herbsmith brand.
With these quirky issues that won't resolve I take my dogs to a holistic vet who specializes in acupuncture. It might be worth considering.
My vet told me to give it 3 months for food changes. Glad to see someone else trying out Taste of the Wild. Lost our 14 year old Angel in August. Swore I'd never have another dog. Got a new pup for Christmas who was a rescue. Lived on the streets for all of her 3 months. Don't know how she survived.
She has terrible skin issues, my vet told me to take her off chicken. Tried Blue Buffalo Red Meat for pups only to find it has chicken meal as a main ingredient. We are now using Taste of the Wild Salmon for pups. Hope to see a difference in a few months.
Miss our Angel, but love our new pup, Zoe (Zo-ee).
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