Allergies and Food

[TJ_11]

We have been battling allergies the last couples months with my 8 yr old lab. It starting with the licking and chewing at paws, progressed into the skin scabs and finally the ear trouble. The licking went on for a while, I just assumed it was boredom with me working more. Couple months ago the skin scabs and ear infections got worse. The vet gave me Motazol to handle his ears as a maintenance when needed item. Also we put him on Apoquel hoping to slow down the allergies, this was all in hope of getting pass spring time. In our discussion with the vet, if these didn't fit the bill after spring we would move to narrowing down the allergies without paying for the test.

This leads me on to the changing his dog food. Since he turned 1, he has been on Eukanuba Premium 30/20. Of course the first couple ingredients are chicken and corn coming in third. After some research the last couple days, I'm thinking the goal is to change the main meat and also corn-free / grain-free completely food.

Ive searched and found y'all like, or at least mentioned the most.

Taste of the wild
Purina Pro Plan
4 Health
Wellness Core

The lab is stays between 100 & 105 lbs with a big build not a fat dog. We go on vacation this weekend and when I returned, ill start the transition to one of these. Hoping for some input from y'all based on what I've said.

Thanks TJ

[Jscrapmetal]

Its not the food. Went through the same battle with 3 different vets. pay for the allergy test and be done with it. My lab gets one shot a month. No more feet problems. Its worth it.

[uga_dawg]

I don't know what the test cost, but it will also tell you what foods will work best for him if it is the food. We had one that we did the test on and we swapped food to what it suggested and no more issues.

[TJ_11]

How much is the test? I never asked my vet, he just explained it was quite expensive. I know how much allergy testing is for adults and assumed it was comparable. But he knows me well enough that I will pay if it helps.

[Lynchmob]

Glenda turned my dog paleo and it cleaned up all of his skin issues. We are using wellness core and have been happy with it. That said, I'd trust the vet and not some yahoo on a message board.

[TJ_11]

Glenda turned my dog paleo and it cleaned up all of his skin issues. We are using wellness core and have been happy with it. That said, I'd trust the vet and not some yahoo on a message board.

I will start with the food. I know vets will offer different brands. Ialso figured and seen where y'all have been recommended foods for this and wanted to hear what you had success with.

[uga_dawg]

Glenda turned my dog paleo and it cleaned up all of his skin issues. We are using wellness core and have been happy with it. That said, I'd trust the vet and not some yahoo on a message board.

What if you vet is also a yahoo on a message board?

[marsh chicken]

100 pounds and not fat huh?

[Lynchmob]

What if you vet is also a yahoo on a message board?

Good point. In fairness to Glenn, I think it was actually his partner who turned my dog paleo.

[fro]

Taste of the wild for my hounds coupled with no baths. They don't scratch and costs are nice and slick.

Been feeding it for several years after the scratching got a bit annoying.

[smitch320]

Taste of the Wild Salmon and don't bathe the dog frequently. I sold dog food for 3 years and saw this every single day. No table scraps, junk food, shitty treats. Nothing but the TOW, and your dog's skin will improve greatly.

[Jscrapmetal]

Find the right vet. It's not bad like 350. The way your describing your dog was mine to a T.

[MolliesMaster]

Another one for Taste of Wild Salmon recipe, one black lab and german shorthaired that do well on it.

[smitch320]

If the vet wants to change your dog's diet, just make sure they are not getting you on a food that has the same ingredients. Every dog is different and react to different things in different ways.

[mjiorle]

TJ_11 clear some pm space.

[2thDoc]

i'm still giggling over "glenn and his partner"

[Meathook]

My lab had the same problem. Switched foods a few times and found he was allergic to grain and finally settled on Nutro Wild Fronteir grain free Salmon based food. No more hot spots, no more biting legs and feet. Only head shakes in early spring and fall b/c he is also allergic to grass. Benadryl twice a day takes care of that.

[coot nasty]

I have tried every food out there.. I think my dog has anxiety.. She was at Rhetts getting some and comes back with more hair than she had when she left. Now she is back to scratching and chewing on her feet. If hers is allergies... She is allergic to air when around my house.

[fro]

Find the right vet. It's not bad like 350. The way your describing your dog was mine to a T.

Your dog gets too many baths!

[Glenn]

i'm still giggling over "glenn and his partner"

He wasn't talking about you so calm down.

Skin allergies are a triad made up of atopy, food allergy and insect hypersensitivity, i.e, fleas. Fleas are easy. Treat your yard and treat your dog with a kill on contact adulticide and be done with it. Food is the next easiest. Down side is it will take 6-8 weeks, sometimes longer, before you can say if a food is or isn't working. During that time NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else can go in that dogs mouth. Otherwise you've added other variables to the food trial and you cannot say for sure if it's the food or not. So here's the rub. Let's say you have zero fleas and have them on a food that doesn't trigger allergic response, you still have the atopy leg to worry about. Pollen, grasses, mold, house dust, house dust mites etc. The list is long and outside of going all john travolta and sticking the dog in a plastic bubble there isn't a damn thing you can do for atopy other than test followed by hyposensitization injections and/or apoquel and/or modified cyclosporin.

If you're lucky it'll be responsive to eliminating grain and no fleas and not so much atopy.

Want to know the dirty little secret? There is no cure and even if you do everything right and you have an allergic dog there will still be occasional flare ups.

Vet's kids need college too. Not mine, mind you. I ain't paying for that crap. But maybe yours does.