Question by Bordeaux: Allergic dog dilemma! What to do?
My dog was rescued about three months ago and we don’t know anything about his history. He has allergies but we are not sure if they are environmental only, food only, or a combination of both. He does not have any fleas.

Last week I brought him to a new vet (the old one was useless and a firm believer in feeding Purina or Iams) and he decided on a mild course of action as a first step. He prescribed 1 adult benadryl (25 mg) twice a day, Welactin fish oil once a day, and Douxo Calm shampoo and spray. He told me to keep feeding California Natural lamb meal and rice for 3 months, which he was already eating for the past 3 or 4 weeks, but with treats that had other ingredients.

The shampoo treatments call for 3 baths in 7 days, and then to use the spray every 3 days for a month. After the first bath the dog seemed to be better, with a soft coat and calmer skin instead of the pink/red skin he always had before. But yesterday I began to notice he has some raised spots (they look like scabs) in his back which seem worse today and he has some tiny red spots that look a little scaly in the belly area. He is extremely itchy this morning, even biting and chewing his back.

During the exam, the vet noticed one spot that looked like a scab, but today there are at least 5 more of those, so I assume it is getting worse even though he is on Benadryl, the shampoo, etc. I was wondering whether anyone here has seen those symptoms before and could help me to suggest something else to my vet. I cannot believe he would miss something as serious as mange, for example, but maybe there is something else he is missing. We discussed the blood test for allergies, but he said that most of the time they are not helpful because they cannot diagnose food allergies and often it is impossible to keep the dog from getting in contact with whatever it is he is allergic to in the environment. Even so, I am considering it. What is the price range?

I also had tried to get the dog to start eating EVO red meat yesterday by introducing it as treats, which he would not eat. I managed to get him to eat 2 pieces a little after 12 pm yesterday. Could an allergy to beef or another ingredient in the food cause such a powerful reaction this quickly after such a small exposure?

Thank you and I’m sorry this is so long…

Best answer:

Answer by ak
When it comes to keeping your dog healthy, the most important first step is the right attitude. A healthy pet requires more than a yearly visit to the vet for shots and a checkup. Heath, as with humans, depends on some basic building blocks.

http://tinyurl.com/5bmtno

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Question by Banthedeednotthebreed: Major dog food dilemma. One dog needs a more balanced food one can’t handle it. whats a good food for both?
My one dog a small 8lb dog needs a food low in fat and protein or he gets very sick she he is on California Naturals Herring and Sweet potato. (He has had pancreatitis and other gastrointestinal issues CN has been the best food ever for him with those issues and his food allergies, he also can’t tolerate corn)

My other dog is a larger (still a small dog) more sporty dog, a Terrier mix who is extremely athletic, she needs a more balanced diet. We feel feeding her such a limited diet is causing her more harm than good.

We thought about putting her on Innova and leaving him on California Naturals but that just doesn’t seem to be option right now. (That would be around a month vs …then again them each having their own bag would last them 2 months each…so it may be doable…a 15lb bag of CN lasts the 2 of them a month)

So in the meantime I need a food they will both thrive and be healthy on, any suggestions?
The issue with getting the two different foods roughly 30 bucks a piece is spending the a month vs . Its all that money coming out at once on a budget. I’d like to have them on the same food

Best answer:

Answer by horseluvva123
Try a vegetarian dry food. Then add some meat to the active one’s meals.

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I got Buddy 7 years ago when he was 5 (now he’s 12 years old).. and I don’t know if I should keep him or not..

Positives:
- So cute! He’s a long fur chihuahua and is adorable
- Very sweet. He loves when I dress him up and he likes to be babied and ride in a stroller.
- Loves kids. Enjoys going down the slide at the playground.

Negatives
- Hates other dogs.
- Pees in the house every single day (even after I just walk him.) But at least he only pees in the kitchen on the tile.
- Attacks my cats when they try to eat his food or drink from his water dish (theirs is on the table).
- Bad flea allergy and none of the flea medication works on him (tried everything, including Advantage and Frontline). Then he scratches off lots of patches of his fur and scratches everyday, all day. And I can’t give him pills easily because he goes into another room to spit them out (even when they’re hidden in his food).

So if I don’t keep him, maybe putting him to sleep will be best if I can’t find someone to take him. If I give him to Humane Society, they’ll put him to sleep because he’ll never pass the aggression test. If I give him to a non-kill shelter, then he’ll be SO miserable because he hates other dogs.
Yes, I have brought him to the vet tons. They’ve given him lots of cortizone shots (which helps the itching) but he can’t be on them everyday or it has too many side effects).

I do keep him away from the cats when he eats, but if the cats come by his water dish (which is always full) then he attacks them. He is quite mean to them and I think it’s unfair to them.

He’s had these problems for the whole time, but the reason I got a dog was to take him to the dogpark (and I can’t) and so I got a second dog so I could still go to the dog park, but then Buddy got too jealous, and I had to give him away.

He’ll never pee if locked inside a bedroom (like when I’m sleeping with him), but he just likes marking the kitchen.

Stop being so mean to me, I love my dog, just he’s suffering and has been for so long… He’s so miserable with his fleas, and makes the cats so miserable too (by harrassing them).

My dog was rescued about three months ago and we don’t know anything about his history. He has allergies but we are not sure if they are environmental only, food only, or a combination of both. He does not have any fleas.
Last week I brought him to a new vet (the old one was useless and a firm believer in feeding Purina or Iams) and he decided on a mild course of action as a first step. He prescribed 1 adult benadryl (25 mg) twice a day, Welactin fish oil once a day, and Douxo Calm shampoo and spray. He told me to keep feeding California Natural lamb meal and rice for 3 months, which he was already eating for the past 3 or 4 weeks, but with treats that had other ingredients.
The shampoo treatments call for 3 baths in 7 days, and then to use the spray every 3 days for a month. After the first bath the dog seemed to be better, with a soft coat and calmer skin instead of the pink/red skin he always had before. But yesterday I began to notice he has some raised spots (they look like scabs) in his back which seem worse today and he has some tiny red spots that look a little scaly in the belly area. He is extremely itchy this morning, even biting and chewing his back.
During the exam, the vet noticed one spot that looked like a scab, but today there are at least 5 more of those, so I assume it is getting worse even though he is on Benadryl, the shampoo, etc. I was wondering whether anyone here has seen those symptoms before and could help me to suggest something else to my vet. I cannot believe he would miss something as serious as mange, for example, but maybe there is something else he is missing. We discussed the blood test for allergies, but he said that most of the time they are not helpful because they cannot diagnose food allergies and often it is impossible to keep the dog from getting in contact with whatever it is he is allergic to in the environment. Even so, I am considering it. What is the price range?
I also had tried to get the dog to start eating EVO red meat yesterday by introducing it as treats, which he would not eat. I managed to get him to eat 2 pieces a little after 12 pm yesterday. Could an allergy to beef or another ingredient in the food cause such a powerful reaction this quickly after such a small exposure?
Thank you and I’m sorry this is so long…