Skin/Food/Seasonal Allergies in Dogs

[Mona]

Shimmer(my Boxer that will turn one year on Saturday) has had some skin problems recently. She has off and on, has "sores" on her muzzle, under her chin and on the top of her head. They are itchy. Then late this Fall, she got a huge "rash", like little red bumps all over her belly, inside of her back legs etc. It cleared on it's own over time. She also gets a rash like thing on her legs. Also had a couple spots that almost looked like ringworm on her back legs.

Had her to the vet. He did not know exactly what it was, so tried a few simple things to start with. He said it was NOT ringworm, which I didn't think it was, because Molly, our Boston is not showing any signs of anything Shimmer has. He did a skin scaping to check for mange. She doesn't have the one type that is highly contagious, nor fleas/lice, because again, Molly is fine and those are all transmissable from one do to another. They did a skin scraping for the type of mange they can pick up from their dam, and it can come back from time time up until they are a year old, and nothing showed in that. They have also been on the heartworm stuff that is supposed to take care of fleas, lice, etc., so it shouldn't have been those either.

The vet put her on 10 days of antibiotics as he feels some of the skin issues are a fungal bacterial thing, and also I was giving a no name Benadryl med to help control the itching and allergy symptoms. She had sores as I mentioned/described above, and and was losing hair in a patchy pattern along her sides. You could not see the missign hair when looking in the direction of the hair growth, but if the light shone against the lay of her hair, you could see it then. It too was itchy. Sores on her head, legs, belly and under chin...was MAJORLY itchy, and she stunk too, no matter how often she was bathed and the bedding changed. He gave me a medicated shampoo to bath her with twice a week for 2 weeks, and another product that you put between the shoulder blades...it is a heartworm thing too, but it also covers mange, in case she did have that from her dam. So hopefully, between all of that, something will help her. I hope it is not going to be some sort of skin allergies she will have to be battling with for life!

She is done with the baths, and had the first of the 3 heartworm stuff to oput between her shoulder blades, and has completed all her pills. Now that I have stopped giving the allergy pills, her eyes seem "goopy" again, which she normally alway has, but it did seem to be lessened with the meds). She is starting to itch a little again too.

I asked the breeder about this, and she now informs me the sire has allergies, but since she switched feeds to a lamb/rice/chicken/rice forumula, he has not shown it in 2 years. Wish I had known about his allergies BEFORE I bought the dog. Are allergies somewhat hereditary? I am going to try switching her food too, hopefully that will work, but wondering if any of you can offer any expeience or knowledge with this type of thing??

 

[Jill]

I think that corn can be a real culprit in some skin problems in dogs. We use a dog food, Nutro Natural Choice, which contains no corn and "brags" about it promoting good skin and coats.

When we got Kelsey, I was concerned because I had been told blue merle collies were prone to allergies. However, she has not ever had any issues. She grew up on Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy and now eats the adult formula, lamb & rice flavor.

PS In the bullet points about the product, it says "Guaranteed to improve skin & coat"

 

[user 488]

I use the same as Jill.........the Lamb and Rice. I had a Jack Russell who had symptoms like Shimmer and I started with that years ago and it took it right away. I also have Cairns who are prone to different skin things but have never had a problem because they always get the Lamb and Rice. NO TREATS either unless it is the Nutro.

But you are going to get a million replys on this I am sure.........

 

[Clarks Ltd Edition]

Hi Mona,

As you will probably remember - you helped us find a Anatolian puppy a little over a year ago. This dog has an allergy to corn. She will get sores on her cheeks and muzzle, and other places on her body and the hair will come out. They are very itchy too. Our Vet calls them "Hot Spots". She told us to try Lamb and rice dry dog food that does NOT have any corn in it. We changed food and we have NOT had any more "hot spots". Good Luck!! Molly

 

[Jill]

Another PS, I do give them all "dinner" that I make. They get the Nutro Natural Choice free choice all day and for dinner, they get this thing I make for them using Barilla Plus Pasta (has 10 grams protein per serving), eggs, green beans, and ground meat. I think though switching to a good NO CORN diet will help a lot! Plus, I think lamb is one meat source that is the least likely to cause an allergy.

 

[mininik]

Boxers and allergies, what fun! We have two, a Boxer and a Boxer mix. Both experienced allergy issues last summer. One always gets sniffly in the spring, due to all the pollen in the air. Last summer, that Boxer's pollen allergies worsened to the point where his face and paws became itchy and he itched and licked them raw. The raw spots then spawned a staph. infection. He had to have a Cortisone shot and was put on antibiotics and Chlorhexidine spray. After that was cleared up, the Boxer mix developed bad hot spots and had to have a Cortisone shot and was put on Prednisone.

Our dogs were treated by two different veterinarians. The first vet wasn't much help, relied heavily on trying drugs ($$$) and would never settle on a diagnosis (suggesting anything from skin cancer to allergies to hot spots). The second vet "knew" what the problem was, addressed it and the dog recovered quickly. He also recommended the dogs get bathed at least monthly (using a natural, hypoallergenic shampoo), to help keep the skin allergen free. We have also stopped using chemical products around the house, including carpet fresheners, cleaners, soaps, detergents, etc. The dogs diets were upgraded (again), so that now I only rotate between products on the Whole Dog Journal's list of approved foods, or offer raw or home cooked meals (Note: Just remember not to mix raw and kibble, as kibble takes longer to digest.). The dogs also only get healthy premade or natural treats, such as Zukes, Buddy Biscuits, Three Dog Bakery, or natural plain canned pumpkin, or natural plain non-fat yogurt. Their drinking water usually includes a shot of natural unpasteurised Apple Cider Vinegar. All of our dogs are now HEALTHY.

It's been my experience that allergies are usually more complex than just removing corn, or grains, or soy, or common meat or whatever from their diet, or avoiding just this or that product. I've got a dog who comes to me for grooming who has been found to be allergic to DUST MITES, among other things. Another dog, a Boxer, comes in weekly for baths to help with her environmental allergies, but she has also been upgraded to a better diet to help her body cope. If possible, I suggest you have your dog tested to see a sample of what she is allergic to. The results will likely surprise you, and then you'll be armed with more information than just guesswork. In the meantime, repeating the steps I've taken and outlined above can only help.

 

[mininik]

Carol, you mentioned no treats for your dogs unless they are Nutro. I wanted to point out that there are a variety of awesome treats out there now, including many that are actually better than Nutro (which I use, as well). I suggest you check out Zukes, Buddy Biscuits and the Three Dog Bakery, for starters.

For those who may be curious, of the Nutro products, the Ultra line is the best (Whole Dog Journal approved this year) and Natural Choice is "okay," but do avoid Max. The difference is all in the ingredient list, the quality of which goes beyond looking for corn, but also other cheap fillers, as well as chemical preservatives and unnatural coloring (which are all known allergens and some of which are also known to contribute to cancer), plus the use of an actual meat source within the first three ingredients (not by products or unspecific source).

 

[user 488]

Hi Nikki. Thanks. I know there are other things out there. What I meant to say is that if you are feeding something and it works but then you go and start giving your dog a bunch of the garbage "treats" out there your dog will still have problems. I am not a big "treat" giver but I will look at some of those you mentioned. I guess I am a MEAN MOMMY!

 

[mininik]

Meanie.

Here I use various treats as reinforcements, or for keeping the dogs busy (stuffing Kongs). Variety helps with high and low value rewards and helps keep the dogs interested. But you are so right in that many treats you see (Milk Bones, rawhide, etc.) are just as bad or worse than the junk dog foods out there, and if a dog is allergic to something in it's diet, you should avoid that in treats, as well.

 

[Mona]

Thanks for the replies thus far.

OK, so if I have her tested for allergies, how do I go about this? Do I just tell my vet I want her tested, and he'll know what to test for, or ??? Or, will he send us to some sort of specialist that will run the tests??

Also, in as far as treats go...I do feed a variety of treats, ranging from Denta-Stix, to bone shaped busicuits(different brands) to soft treats, and then I also buy "Rollover" and cut it into little pieces to give them. What if any of these could I continue with? I really like the Denta-Stix as I give it to them as a "special treat" after I am done trimming nails, and the Rollover I think is a more "natural" type of food/treat. I would hope I could maybe continue with those?

 

[mininik]

You'll want a referral to a specialist for allergy testing.

Denta Stix are made by Pedigree. Below are the ingredients. (I avoid ALL Pedigree products. In fact, I no longer pick up just any random box of dog biscuits or bag of bones, no matter WHO makes them, without approving what's on the label. Even great companies sometimes switch ingredients, or sell out.)

RICE FLOUR, WHEAT STARCH, GLYCERIN, GELATIN, GUM ARABIC, CALCIUM CARBONATE, NATURAL POULTRY FLAVOR, CELLULOSE POWDER, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, SALT (IODIZED), POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, VITAMINS (CHOLINE CHLORIDE, L-ASCORBYL-2-POLYPHOSPHATE [sOURCE OF VITAMIN C], VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, NIACIN, d-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], dl-ALPHA TOCOPHEROL ACETATE [sOURCE OF VITAMIN E], THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1]), POTASSIUM SORBATE (A PRESERVATIVE), SMOKE FLAVOR, ZINC SULPHATE, GREEN TEA EXTRACT, TURMERIC, IRON OXIDE, COPPER SULFATE.

As a healthy alternative, I suggest Merrick's assortment of bones and chews. You'll still have to supervise the chewing activity, and it may take a bit for your dog's system to get used to the bones, but they are great for their teeth and minds. Kong type toys stuffed with healthy snacks are also great.

Below is a link to a list of Ingredients to Avoid feeding your dog:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

This is where you're going to have to start learning to read labels. Some ingredients go by more than one name, or are listed in parts so they aren't immediately obvious. Allergies or no, none of us should be feeding these ingredients to our dogs. As I mentioned previously, there are many healthy options out there you can try.

 

[tinacvt]

Allergies can be hereditary. Mininik is correct in the diet department, I have a cat with bad food allergies so I feed her natural balance duck and green pea. You need to go to a novel protien and cut out all fillers.

 

[Sandyboy1]

My black lab has skin issues. I've changed his feed to Hills Science Diet for dogs with sensitive skin, and he recently finished a two-week regimen of antibiotics plus antifungal medication, both given orally. Also, keeping his claws trimmed and putting hunting booties on his hind feet prevented him from scratching deeply, enabling the sores to heal faster. For now, the vehement bouts of scratching have subsided.

Pam

 

[mininik]

Science Diet - Sensitive Skin Adult

Ingredients:

Brewers rice, corn meal, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, dried egg product, vegetable oil, animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), flaxseed, chicken liver flavor, DL-methionine, L-lysine, L-tryptophan, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid, minerals (potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, salt, calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), rosemary extract, beta-carotene, vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of vitamin C), niacin, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement)

If that's the product you've switched your dog to, I'll bet the drugs are doing more good than the ingredients above. If you check the list of Ingredients to Avoid (http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients), many are found in this product. While it may work for some dogs, I am for giving my dogs the best nutrition possible, without unnecessary ingredients. Science Diet is not cheap, the company spends a lot of money on advertising. For the same price or a bit more, I have no doubt you can find something with better quality ingredients that your dog will flourish on. I'm curious what your dog was fed previously?

"PS." Keeping nails filed down and hunting booties on are excellent suggestions for keeping your dog from itching itself raw while you work to find a solution (provided your dog will keep the booties on).

 

[mininik]

For a quick comparison, here's the ingredient list for a grain free low protien/high carb. product, Natural Balance - Sweet Potato & Venison Formula

Sweet potatoes, potatoes, salmon, salmon meal, canola oil (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols),

Potato fiber, natural flavor, salmon oil, flaxseed, potassium chloride, choline chloride, inulin, taurine, l-carnitine, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, d-calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid (vitamin B9)

... and below is the ingredient list for the grain free (high protein/low carb.) product, Natura's Evo Large Dog/Small Bites:

Turkey, chicken, turkey meal, chicken meal, potato, herring meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols),

Natural flavors, eggs, potassium chloride, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, garlic, apples, carrots, tomatoes, cottage cheese, alfalfa sprouts, dried chicory root, ascorbic acid, taurine, lecithin, rosemary extract, vitamin E supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D supplement, beta carotene, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, cobalt proteinate, calcium iodate, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium thermophilum fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product

Like many brands of dog food on the market, both of these brands come in different "flavors," providing a range of protein and carb. sources to choose from. Unlike many poorer quality brands of food, note the absense of not only grains like rice, but also corn, as well as artificial colors and chemical preservatives. Also unlike many poorer quality brands, these products are suitable for "all life stages."

 

[Whitestar]

Mona

Some suggestions. Boxers should not be fed or watered in a metal dish, they seem to get a contact dermatitis from it, but it sounds like more. It is possible it is a contact dermatitis which means whatever she is coming in contact with causes the problem, did you change laundry detergent, start using a fabric spray, anything that can cause her to be itching? Does she lay on your couch, floor, bed, her own bed that something different has been added? It is also possible grass allergy although I am sure there isnt much grass where you are now.

To check for an digestive allergy, you can to start off with a clean slate, & I mean clean. Which means you feed one type of food, no other treats, no table food nothing. It takes a long time for skin to clear up, but you can notice a difference in the itchy part. It does no good to put your pet on a specialized diet & then give it treats that may be causing the problem. You can use the kibble as a treat if you have to do treats, or even baby carrots are good, they are high fiber & can help clean your dogs teeth. But pick out a good food & there are many ( IAM rabbit & green peas... Purina makes prescription skin diets & I although others do not agree, I do suggest Science Diet sensitive skin or even the Hills Prescription Z/D silver or gold.. I am practice manager of a Vet clinic & have seen the difference in what it does, not every pet will do good on every diet just like somethings work for some horses or humans & others it does not, sometimes it is a game of chance that takes some tinkering)

Has your Vet checked for yeast? He should do a skin scraping to see if her underlining problem is yeast, the itchy opens the skin & the yeast takes over which is what makes her smell. I would also suggest a scrape for demodex & frankly unless you have do a number is scrapings & really do them right, sometimes your vet can miss them. A good folicular flushing shampoo can help with the smell, but she may need to be on an anti yeast medication. Does she have smelly ears?

We see SOOO many skin problems, being a non profit clinic, I swear it is the number one in office visits but usually in the warmer months. We are so lucky to be able to help pets at a decent price, otherwise dogs would be bloody raw from itching because owners cant afford $150 to have their pets treated. Frankly, demodex is the number is problem....

I hope this has helped a bit....email me if you have any specific questions. Debbie

 

[Sonya]

My mix has allergies to grass... He gets the itches every late spring/early summer...We usually end of having to put him on prednisone for a couple weeks when it flairs up. Also the same dog gets very dry skin in the winter months and will be itchy...we solved that problem by adding a humidifier to our house...and every once and a while he needs a benadryl. I tried adding some flax to his diet and it didn't seem to help, but the humidifier does, so we leave it run just for him.

Good luck finding the problem, it is frustrating when you can't narrow it down.

 

[Sterling]

My old Boxer girl had skin alergies I remember until I switched her diet. With her it seemed to be that red dye stuff that is in some dog foods to color them and make the soft kibble look tasty and meaty. Once I switched her over to Nutro Naturals she stopped losing her hair every spring on her flanks. She would also get the itchies and bumpies on her chin and the vet suggested I stop feeding her in a plastic bowl. I had to switch her over to metal feed and water and that seemed to clear her up. No more problems after I did all that with her. Each dog is an individual as with people....looking for the culprit can be frustrating. Case in point.....with Lakota just recently she dealt with a bout of Pyoderma (canine acne) on her chin. I had changed her from Nutro Natural over to Canidae which they say is much better for them. Tweety (Boxer) was ok with it...but then Lakota starts getting the pyoderma...vet suggested change feeds again so I went back to Nutro and seems to have cleared up. It seems like maybe even one little ingredient in the Canidae may not agreed with her. Now I'm in the process of investigating her toys.....and the treats she gets.

 

[Jeannie B]

Hi Mona, gee I know how frustrating not knowing the cause of this can be!

My Sheltie Niki (who passed away last July), had allergies big time and our vet never did find out why.

I still think it was corn. The problem was though Niki was on a prescribed food because of her kidney problem so the itching persisted

Niki also had several bouts of Hot Spots which caused a really bad odor.

Once she had a hot spot on the top of her head between her ears. It had gotten a bit crusty by the time we discovered it and thats when it began to smell really bad.

I took Niki to the vet and she confirmed it was a hot spot. She gave me some Panolog ointment for it. I swear by this cream Mona. I have had to use it several times over the years and always have a tube on hand.

Hot spots areas have to be cleaned really well! My vet suggested a clean wash cloth with soap and water, rinse well, dry thoroughly and apply the ointment. Sometimes if the area is really bad I have had to shave around the area to get all the dried puss to make sure the area around it is also clean.

It should be repeated at least 3 times a day according to my vet.

These darn hot spots can appear anywhere on a dog and alot of times you smell a problem before you actually see a problem!

I hope its nothing serious Mona.

 

[Mona]

OK, without further testing at this point, and just switching to a lamb or chicken and rice based food, how long should it be before I start to see results? (approximately)