Change of food for itching
I'm thinking that I should stop giving him dog biscuits and other dog treats as they will have beef, chicken etc in them and I think its the change in protein that helps. 
Do I have this right and what have others found with changing? I give him yoghurt with the kibble for breakfast and cooked vegies with dinner. Any helpful tips are appreciated. 
 that it stops the foot chewing. |
|
|
| Mim, I've never gone this route myself so hopefully others who have will chime in, but I believe if you suspect food allergies you're supposed to eliminate all extraneous from the diet (including veggies) so you can narrow down likely suspects. If he responds well to the proplan, after a number of weeks (how many?) you can add in other things one at a time and see how he tolerates that.
With feet chewing, if that's the only area, I've always wondered if it wasn't contact allergies. Is there a seasonal component at all? Then again, like I said, not something I have a lot of experience with so what do I know? Hopefully others who know more about the issue will share their insights and what worked for them. Kristine |
| I eliminate everything but the dog brand you are using is what MANY of the users here do for itching. It worked for us for a long time. |
| Youe should have good luck with the ProPlan Sensitive Skin & Stomach. It has less additives in it than others foods. I have on of my older guys on it for his senitive intestinal tract & have had great results. What Krisitine said is true......eliminate all other food items at first. Keep it as simple as possible to start (say 2 weeks) & then start adding things slowly. Biscuits can be the big culprit as they are going to have to have several ingredients in them. We have found over the years that corn, wheat & chicken (parts or by-products) seem to be what alot of dogs can have food allergies to (this information comes from my vet). One of my girls years ago had an inhalant allergy & in the course of deciding what her problem was we started with looking for food allergies (due to her young age). We were going to one of the best allergy/dermatology vet specialits in the country. I remember her telling me that the food change for food allergies should show results within 2 weeks if you follow the strict rules of no other foods while you are trying to find out what the culprits are. Alot of time food allergies will manifest themselves in itcing & scratching around the mouth, chin, eyes & possibly chewing the hair on other parts of their bodies (in my girl's case it was the outer parts of her thighs). If he is only fussing with his feet you could check for a contact allergy such as grass, the type of soap you washed his blankets in (sometimes we change brands & never think of this difference such as bleach additives etc.) carpeting......things like that. One thing to remember with allergies with dogs is that they can develop at any time but usually inhalants are age 2 or later except in rare cases. Also they tend to get worse if untreated as the dog gets older rather than growing out of them like humans do. |
Ditto to all of the above. After discovering last summer that Loki has IBS and a wheat allergy, he has been exclusively on ProPlan Lamb and Rice (sometimes Chicken and Rice) and is doing beautifully. Last year was a horror - Constant chewing and many, many nasty hot spots. This year, there have been NO hot spots  and virtually no chewing. The only people food he gets is boiled chicken and brown rice added to the kibble if he has an IBS flare, and the occasional organic dog cookie - Wheat free only.
I was very lucky that the solution was that simple. I spend a lot of time reading the ingredients on any food I'm thinking of feeding, as the other dogs do enjoy a canned food on occasion and Loki feels left out if he doesn't get a taste. It's amazing how many have wheat as one of the first ingredients. |
| now Summer chews her feet and cleans them but not incessantly its as if she cant stand them being muddy. What do they look like when the dog has an allergy? |
| The feet, or other frequently chewed/licked spots, have a orangish/clay tinge to the fur from the saliva. And some areas can be minus the fur, not red and oozie like a hot spot, just without fur.
that's what happens to Ben anyway. |
KTB wrote: now Summer chews her feet and cleans them but not incessantly its as if she cant stand them being muddy. What do they look like when the dog has an allergy?
Rastus's feet are going that bronzed color from all the chewing and licking, he also bites them and kicks as they are so itchy. I feel really bad for him as they are obviously really, really itchy. He does lick and chew elsewhere but I didnt mention it because its nowhere near as often and other than the bronzing around his mouth he is licking and chewing in unmentionable areas  He also seems to be worse after he eats, hence the food change. Dalmos are a breed prone to skin problems and allergies of all types, so he may have contact allergies as well. But hopefully if there is a food component it will help minimise the problem.
I have been feeding him Proplan for 2 days now and even though he has had yoghurt and a few biscuits and rawhides he seems less itchy. I hope I'm not imagining it. Thanks for your responses. I will feed him nothing but Proplan (he'll be real happy - NOT) for a few weeks, see how he goes and then try reintroducing food. |
Quote: Rastus's feet are going that bronzed color from all the chewing and
licking, he also bites them and kicks as they are so itchy. Bottoms or tops of feet? Both allergies and yeast can cause itchy feet. A yeast problem has been ruled out? Panda's feet after changing her diet and frequently washing her feet with Malaseb shampoo- http://oesusa.com/Yeast/PandaComparison.jpg |
6Girls wrote: Quote: Rastus's feet are going that bronzed color from all the chewing and licking, he also bites them and kicks as they are so itchy. Bottoms or tops of feet? Both allergies and yeast can cause itchy feet. A yeast problem has been ruled out? Panda's feet after changing her diet and frequently washing her feet with Malaseb shampoo- http://oesusa.com/Yeast/PandaComparison.jpg Both bottoms and tops. I've washed with malaseb including around his mouth but the vet thinks its allergic dermatitis, only question now is whether its contact or if there is a dietary component. I'm hoping its dietary as that's easier to manage. I forgot at the park today and gave him 3 tiny bits of beef smacko and after we got home he was chewing again. Mostly the unmentionable bits this time. Hubby says that's too soon for it to be due to the beef but I think 30-40 mins is probably long enough to effect him if that is what it is. |
| I hate the "itchy twitchies", as we call them here at our house.
Oscar used to go nuts, itching, scratching, rubbing his face, and chewing about 15 - 30 minutes after eating ANY Eukanuba product. I thought it was my imagination at first, but then we did yet another in a long line of food switches and it stopped. Then later, about four food switches down the line, Oscar had to go on the hydrolyzed protein kibble, as he was really having tummy troubles. We tried Hill's Science Diet with no luck, so my vet asked me to try Eukanuba's version. Once again, a short period of time after eating, Oscar started with the "itchy twitchies" again. I don't know if it's an ingredient or a preservative, but Oscar has never reacted this way to any of the dozen other foods we've tried over the years. So I certainly think it could be the beef. But I wouldn't rule out contact allergies either, as maybe he is being exposed to something at the dog park (grass, pollen) that he is sensitive too, and it's causing him to chew when he gets home. Is there anything blooming right now, or are molds bad? I know Oscar tends to have flare-ups (skin and IBD) here in early Spring as he's reacting to grass and pollen. I hope you sort this out soon. Laurie and Oscar |
 well as Summers feet were that rusty brown colour I have just spent a very interesting half an hour.
step 1, get hubby, Summer and my scissors in kitchen, trim inbetween pads...not too bad...hubby now disappeared. step 2...bowl of water and baby shampoo and old towel, wash one foot not too bad. Then have to shout for help as she decided enough is enough and starts sploshing water all over my floor. Son helps, yorkie helps, yorkie gets banished. 30 minutes later one Summer with clean sweet smelling feet, me soaked. kitchen floor soaked, dog bed soaked... |
KTB wrote: :roll: well as Summers feet were that rusty brown colour I have just spent a very interesting half an hour.
step 1, get hubby, Summer and my scissors in kitchen, trim inbetween pads...not too bad...hubby now disappeared. step 2...bowl of water and baby shampoo and old towel, wash one foot not too bad. Then have to shout for help as she decided enough is enough and starts sploshing water all over my floor. Son helps, yorkie helps, yorkie gets banished. 30 minutes later one Summer with clean sweet smelling feet, me soaked. kitchen floor soaked, dog bed soaked... Solution: Human wearing bathing suit, 1 bucket if water, baby shampoo, old towel & hose in the driveway or garage. Much less clean-up! Take it from me..............years of experience 
Chsheepdog |
Ha, ha, ha, Hey why am I laughing have been there with Rastus. 
His best effort was to kick out with his back foot and the bucket of water went flying.  |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|