Questions

My almost two year old Golden retriever began to scratch himself about a month ago. Our vet says that around 2 yrs. is when a dog will show symptoms if they do indeed have allergies. The vet wanted us to change his food, which we did. We fed him a grain-free blend. Then the vet said to stop feeding that food because it has too many ingredients. I'm getting confused. What is a hypo-allergenic diet? I need sound information. If you can help me, Thank You!

Answer:

Has the vet ruled out all other causes of allergies?  Have you eliminated fleas and other pests from your home and your Golden?  If so and you are sure your dog doesn’t have mites, fleas or other pests, I would try to think of anything you have changed in your home or new cleaners, soaps, anything that might make your dog itch.

Once all that has been ruled out I would look at the dog food the vet is giving you.  Is he advising you to buy Hill’s Prescription Diet?  Can you tell me what other types of food you have tried?

Most dog foods have so many additives that the additives alone can cause an allergy outbreak. 

For dogs that really have allergies to certain foods you may have to try an elimination diet. If these foods are not taken out of the meals you are feeding, the symptoms will persist.

Certain foods are considered more hypoallergenic because most dogs are not allergic to them. Many dog food companies are saying their food is hypo allergenic. 

I’ve tried them all and I found some that work for my dog.  They can be found on Spooky’s dog food test kitchen results.  I’m not making any money by listing these brands but it might be a good place to start if the vet food doesn’t work.

My other advice would be to cook for your dog.  The best part of cooking for your dog is that you know what is going into the food.  Just good free range chicken and veggies.  I would start by feeding your dog a bit of chicken breast.  See if he tolerates that and stops scratching.  It might take a while for the histamines to get out of his system. 

If the chicken seems fine, I would add a vegetable or rice.  Buy good rice from India not China.  India knows rice.  China laces their grains with pesticides (the pet food recall a few years back).  Then try some potatoes, then some carrots and even canned pumpkin has been shown to be good for your dog and well tolerated.  I buy my pumpkin from Whole Foods.

Be sure to let me know how it’s going with your Golden!

My dog has allergies so bad that i have to give him a daily bath. Is this hurting the dog by bathing him everyday?

Kim in Texas

Answer

It does not hurt the dog but it can cause the skin to dry out.  The coat of a dog needs natural oils for the coat to look shiny and strong.  I don’t think a conditioner will do the trick.  A dog needs his skin and coat to be healthy.

Question

I have a Westy with allergy problems or so I thought. He's been on antibiotics and Prednisone, to suppress the immune system.  I tried every vet "special" food. Salmon and potatoes, Venison and potatoes and on and on.  nothing seems to work.

Laurie in Seattle
 

Answer

It's not so much bad dog food but the additives they put in the food. Check out what's really in dog food because there are some very toxic ingredients.

I tried cooking for my dog and he immediately got better but I have the time to do that and other people don't.

I suggest you try a home cooked meal with added vegetables (there are plenty of recipes on the web) and see if your dog starts feeling better.

Any supplement can also have additives. So this might compound your problem.

Antibiotics can kill all the good flora and fauna in the gut (where our immune system starts) so try putting it back in by either Probiotics or cultured yogurt.

Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy

Lorri Collins and Spooky, the most allergic dog in the world!

 

 

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Please Read

Any information contained on this site relating to various medical, health, and fitness conditions of Westies and their treatment is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own veterinarian. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing dog allergies - you should always consult your own veterinarian.