Allergies..can anyone recomend a food or vitamins

**Aspen and Misty** · 10-12-2006, 11:57 PM

Thanks for the replies so far!

Karen - I'm more looking for vitamins to boost his skin and coat. Ever since his first out break in the beginning of the summer, his skin and coat has never been the same (even when he was on RAW) so I'm looking for something to get him back to where he was and keep him there. I'm also looking for a good, multi vitamin. The thing with him being allergic to the environment is his problems start and stop when he is taken on or off kibble. However, he has never been tested for allergies (although the vet has confirmed and gave me plenty of meds for his allergies) so I can not say for certain what he is allergic to. The next food we were going to try with him is Nature's Variety - Venision and Rice. Or I was considering switching him onto a Duck and Potato food.

BC_MoM - I was feeding him Chicken Soup for the Pet lovers soul. He did great on it in Pennsylvania, but when we moved down to Georgia, it no longer agreed with him. When we switched him onto RAW his skin problems disappeared, which makes me assume it was something in the food (maybe they changed an ingredient?). When he was switched back onto kibble he was switched onto Natures Variety Chicken Meal and Rice.

Wolf Q - Thanks I will look into Natural Balance, does Nebo have allergies or do you just feed him that kind of food?

Ashley

**wolf_Q** · 10-13-2006, 12:07 AM

Nebo's never had any sort of skin allergies but when he has been on other (chicken based) food he had an upset stomach a lot more often.

**areias** · 10-13-2006, 12:18 AM

I would recommend a duck and potato, or there is a food out there with kangaroo in it? That is supposed to be great for allergies.

I had Zoie on the regular Natural Balance and she was itchy all over, I switched to Chicken Soup and since then it had stopped. It will vary from dog to dog on what works for you.

**Catlady711** · 10-14-2006, 06:28 PM

Make sure not to switch foods too often. Relief from food related allergies can take 2-3 months to show up after you switch food. If you aren't waiting at least this long, you aren't giving time for any change to take effect, and are possibly exposing your dog to even more allergens each time. Tracking down food allergies is a trial and error process. It's best to restrict anything but the food you're feeding (no treats/snacks) and wait at least 2 months, if no change, then you can try a different food. Takes patience.

If the itching continues in the meantime or if your dog gets raw areas from scratching/chewing see your vet.

**Aspen and Misty** · 10-14-2006, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by Catlady711

If you aren't waiting at least this long, you aren't giving time for any change to take effect, and are possibly exposing your dog to even more allergens each time.

He was on his Nature's Best for 5 weeks, it took 2 weeks for him to start itching like crazy and his stomach to break out in red bumps. So I decided to switch him after only a month since he had an out break (before this he was on RAW so he was absolutely fine). However, this food wasn't Hypoallergenic so I did decide to switch him before he was on it for very long and got worse.

Angelbow- While I'm willing to get Allergy testing and I'm willing to get it done; I am hoping I can find him a temporary solution before I go this route. I will want to know what he is allergic to though so that I can avoid it in the future just right now I'm trying to get back on my feet after the last vet emergency with the puppies.

Rachel - For some reason while on RAW and when we lived in PA I was able to feed him anything and everything and he never had a problem. I'm hopeing that if his main food is made for dog's with allergies he will be able to go back to having some treats and such.

I bought him Pinnacle Duck and Potato, I'm hoping that this will help him. He is still in transition from his old food to his new food and will be for probably another week or two. So hopefully we will see results in maybe two months or so. Cross your fingers and I will post if anything happens!

Ashley

**dragondawg** · 10-15-2006, 02:14 PM

Your approach of changing or trying a different meat in the dog food is a sound approach. Between the usual chicken, lamb, or duck, fish, turkey you should be able to find something.

If the allergies tend to be more severe in a given season, then you have a contact allergy involved such as leaf mold in the Fall. It was a problem for my previous dog once she hit 7 yrs of age.

In order to relieve any continued itching the common dosage numbers published for benedryl 1-2 mg/lb. The clear gel caps smeared with a little peanut butter or wrapped in cheese are yummy. My prior dog of 74 lbs received 25 mg of Benedryl at night, and 12.5 in the morning. It usually took 3-5 days for the itching to completely stop. If the skin is irritated or red in appearance then there is a good chance you have a staph skin infection, where a short course of Cephalexin should help clear it up.

**iamgobsmacked** · 10-17-2006, 08:20 AM

First of all changing to a food with less overall ingredients is essential. Foods like Natural Balance, Wellness, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul. Try alternating them from time to time in insure greater nutrition.

Also try offering some organic live bacterial culture yogurt daily. Two tbsp daily. Also purchase some whole organic flax seed and start with 1 tbsp daily for one week then increase up to 2 tbsp. The omega fatty acids along with the lignans help to support the immune system, joints, bones, skin, heart. Alternate from time to time with a good quality cod liver oil. I usually do three weeks in rotation.

500 mg natural source vitamin c daily broken down into 2 250 mg servings. Helps to support the urinary tract and assists with the absorption of other nutrients. The best way to deal with skin conditions is from the inside out.

Also look to the drinking water, many animals with skin conditions have a low tolerance to the inorganic minerals in tap and bottled water. Offer distilled water instead. Also simple flea allergy cannot be ruled out. With some unfortunate animals, a single flea bite can create a systemic disturbance and severe allergic reaction. If you think it is possible your pet could be exposed to even a single flea bite in this situation it is imperative that monthly flea control be instituted with a control such as frontline.

There is nothing more distressful to a pet owner than watching our beloved pet suffer with itching burning skin. Frequently we head to the vet for that injection of steroids which unfortunately undermine our pets immune system further and create a revolving door to chronic illness.

Start with the supplements and one new simple ingredients food like Wellness. No other foods should be offered. That includes raw hide bones that are chemically treated with toxic chemicals to remove the hair etc. No box treats. Just basic simple food. Watch out for the common allergens in food. Corn, Wheat, brewers yeast. white potatoes (sweet potatoes are fine)

I recently consulted with a woman who's pet has suffered for years with itchy skin conditions. In just weeks she has noticed marked improvement. Oh, and also, keeping the skin free of moisture that contains bacteria is essential in the first few weeks.

A good oatmeal shampoo from a health food store or general nutrition outlet would be helpful. It does not need to specifically to be a pet shampoo. There is one ingredient you want to see listed however, colloidal oatmeal. There is one ingredient you do not want to see. Sodium Laurel Sulfate, added as a lathering agent in most commercial soaps and toothpaste.

And finally, purchase some essential oil of Lavender and a spritzer bottle. Add approximately 300 ml of warm water and 5 drops (drops) to the bottle and shake well. Mist the skin several times daily. The oil is antibacterial, and will greatly soothe the itching in the interim. (never ever however, use any essential oil in any dilution on a cat) they are unable to metabolize and a single drop can be fatal. The more dilute hydro sols can be used for felines.

There is a company in Canada that has essential oils in much larger volume for far less expense that what you can purchase retail. Even with shipping you will get 3-4 times the amount for less than a single little bottle at the store.
http://www.canwax.com/page/page/251748.htm

**Rachel** · 10-14-2006, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by areias

there is a food out there with kangaroo

That is what we feed Tucker and it does seem to help, especially with the allergies which affect his eyes. We get it from our Vet and of course it is more expensive than ordinary kibble. It's called Eukanuba Response KO. You have to be careful not to feed anything else but that. No treats or raw hide bones, etc. That part is a pain because every time I want to give the dogs a treat, I have to pour out a bit of Tucker's food for him while Hannah get's a dog cookie. This brand of food does not come in the treat form like some do.

**angelbow20** · 10-14-2006, 07:41 PM

The allergies come from the starches is the food prolly, like any food that has grains, corn etc. my dog had allergies really bad and i had to take him to the vets to get him on steriods for them and i think if you give him vitamin C it should help improve somewhat. i put special lotions on the spots where he gets them and it helped so much more better! you can buy spray also. or feed him pure cooked chicken and possibly rice tho it might cause the allergies to start again..

**angelbow20** · 10-14-2006, 07:43 PM

Also if even if theres pollen in the air or any form or pollen he could react to it. if you take him to the vets they can do skin tests to see whats bothering him.