[RoseBab]

Hi my GSD just got allergy tested 2 months ago. He was allergic to sooooo many things. We are doing the shots. This is kind of my poor dogs last hope because his allergies are so bad. The test/shots are really expensive and I hear that there is a chance they won't work. Has anybody else had them done? How long did it take for them to work.

Also can you recommend any good allergy food that isn't the rx one. I am hoping with such a big dog that eats a lot we can find some less expensive food for him that works. Heard of any good ones? We don't have a lot of extra money to spend.

I am actually in a contest to win diapers and baby food for a year for my son. It is through Hy-vee. If anybody would like to vote it would be sooooo nice! (no sign up or info required)It is very easy!! Search Beth B. Here is the link Hy-Vee
Can vote daily until June 30th!!

Thanks for any help

Love my boy.........Love my dog..........Love being mommy to them both!

 

[pawzaddict]

What is your dog allergic to exactly?

 

[RoseBab]

So many things 4 types of grass, dust, dust mites, several trees, corn, feathers, walnut, ants, Those are just the ones I remember. There was about 20 things the test showed up.

 

[Holly]

The shots can take months to take effect and a lot of times those allergy tests are wishy-washy, especially with food items. That being said, to be cautious I'd avoid corn anyway if that popped up on the list.

What were his clinical signs?

In order to pick an appropriate food IF he has food allergies, you need to evaluate all of the foods he's had in the past. Often times chicken and beef are the top food allergens. The protein source in food tends to be the culprit, so your goal would be to pick a food with a novel protein source. Things such as Venison, duck, salmon, bison etc tend to work. If the allergies are bad enough, the hydrolyzed Rx food may be the only way to go.

I'd look for foods that are "Duck and green pea" or "venison and sweet potato"... things like that. I just switched my aunt's dog's food because of chronic ear infections and told her that our last dog had food allergies and was on Nature's Recipe Venison and Rice which worked very well for her: Nature's Recipe Venison Meal & Rice Dog Food - Food Center - Dog - PetSmart That may be a good place to start. Wellness also has some good choices like this Duck formula: Wellness® Simple Duck & Oatmeal Formula

You'd have to feed him this food and ONLY this food for a minimum of 4-6 weeks. No treats, no table scraps no nothing. Otherwise trying this is pointless.

 

[RoseBab]

Thank you very much. He had rash on probably 60% constant ear infections and hair loss. He looked liked a big scab He is on steroids so he is more comfortable but we had to have him off of them for 60 days before the test and within that time he looked horrible.

 

[ruthcatrin]

When picking foods read the ingrediants carefully. Chicken is a common additive, usually as 'chicken fat' but sometimes as 'poultry'. The limited ingrediant foods can be a bit harder to find, though Petco carries several.

 

[RoseBab]

Thanks everyone for the advice!Very helpful with the food! Has anyone there gone through the whole allergy shot process? Did it work for them/your dog?

 

[Holly]

I haven't done it personally but have seen some dogs do well and others not so much. It's an expensive gamble.