What do you feed and what treats do you give?
I think my dog may have serious allergies
The last three times I bathed my dog she broke out in hives. The first time I used a oatmeal/baking soda conditioner sample I got at Petsmart. The second time I used just oatmeal and water in attempt to soothe the hives but she broke out again. The third time I used flea shampoo (we have been battling fleas for the past week). I thought she might have an oatmeal allergy but the flea shampoo contains no oatmeal (also, we have used the exact same shampoo on her several times before with no reaction). She also had a mild hives breakout when she came in from the backyard wet from rolling in the grass the day after I gave her the straight oatmeal bath. The breakout from the flea shampoo was much more mild than the previous breakouts. I am wondering if the rolling in the grass breakout and flea shampoo breakout were the result of residual oatmeal in her coat and on her skin (I did not rinse her very well after the oatmeal bath). I am also wondering if it is possible that she has a flea allergy. The allergy problems and flea problems began around the same time.
Another possibility is that she might have been on steroid shots previously and the effects are just now wearing off. She is a rescue and we got her about two months ago. We do not know any of her history, nor do we know how long she was in foster/shelter care. I have never had a dog on steroid shots for allergies, so I do not know if that is a real possibility or not.
She is about 1.8 years old and is a spayed chocolate Labrador Retriever. She has been extremely itchy and has a few spots where she has scratched her skin raw.
Any shared experiences with allergy issues would be greatly appreciated! I am worried sick about her and hate to see her so itchy and miserable. I will do anything to make her feel better.
Another possibility is that she might have been on steroid shots previously and the effects are just now wearing off. She is a rescue and we got her about two months ago. We do not know any of her history, nor do we know how long she was in foster/shelter care. I have never had a dog on steroid shots for allergies, so I do not know if that is a real possibility or not.
She is about 1.8 years old and is a spayed chocolate Labrador Retriever. She has been extremely itchy and has a few spots where she has scratched her skin raw.
Any shared experiences with allergy issues would be greatly appreciated! I am worried sick about her and hate to see her so itchy and miserable. I will do anything to make her feel better.
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Pedigree Large Dog, bacon-flavored treats, honey wheat dog biscuits, small rawhides
First off, no more wheat, no more Pedigree, no more rawhides. For food, go grain free, I would recommend Acana, Canidae, Earthborn, Taste of the Wild, Wellness Core, just to name a few. Taste of the Wild is the cheapest of those. I feed Acana to my dog. I would also stay away from chicken, that's a common allergy. http://chewy.com has good prices and fast delivery.
Treats need to be also grain free and the same protein as the food. That way, you can tell what your dog is reacting to. So if you feed Acana's fish blend, get him some fish based treats.
Rawhides aren't good for dogs. For chewing, I'd suggest bully sticks, Himalayan chews or antlers.
Also, take him to the vet and get him an allergy test. It's worth the money to know if he's allergic to grass or fleas or whatever.
Treats need to be also grain free and the same protein as the food. That way, you can tell what your dog is reacting to. So if you feed Acana's fish blend, get him some fish based treats.
Rawhides aren't good for dogs. For chewing, I'd suggest bully sticks, Himalayan chews or antlers.
Also, take him to the vet and get him an allergy test. It's worth the money to know if he's allergic to grass or fleas or whatever.
My recommendation is dump the food and treats into the garbage and start over. Pedigree is one of the worst quality foods on the market. These coloring added to the food could be the cause of the hives. My pup came into contact with some cat food with coloring in it and swelled up to look like the elephant man. It was the most fighting thing I had ever seen. Look for a higher quality food with no coloring or dyes no by products same with the treats. I would stay away from the raw hide for the same reason some of the companies use toxic chemicals to tan the hide. Go to petco or petsmart stay out of the grocery store. Fromm or Taste of the wild are recommended here a lot. You could also go to Costco and get Natures Domain it is made by the company the makes Taste of the Wild but is a lot cheeper about 30 dollars for 30 pounds. As for the treats read the labels no coloring it looks like this Added FD&C Colors (Red 40, Blue 2, Yellow 6, Yellow 5). again no byproducts preservatives if not natural.Pedigree Large Dog, bacon-flavored treats, honey wheat dog biscuits, small rawhides
Same with everyone else here. Go grain free especially if she has itching. Common sign of food allergy. I feed my pets Earthborn. I was feeding them Orijen but at $60 a bag it was breaking the bank, good food though.
Look for grain-free, made in the USA treats. I ALWAYS research a company if I've never bought their products before. Treats can be manufactured in the USA but they still import their ingredients from China. But they will still label it as "Made in the USA". If something is not recommended for human consumption it is a no-no. Dogs have way more sensitivities than us so for something not to be deemed worthy for our consumption is not for your dogs consumption.
Under no circumstances feed your dog Blue Buffalo. It nearly killed my dog. They import chicken by products from China now. Pedigree and Iams and horrible horrible dog foods. When I went into my local grocery store not a single dog food was passable for me. Petsmart doesnt seem to carry as many natural brands. Petco has a few more. I got to a place called Pet Club which carries many more natural and grain-free options. You should look into a local dog store that is not Petco or Petsmart.
Recently there has been a complaint of pig hair being found in Pedigree dog food. I would absolutely ditch the food. Don't even worry about transitioning. Because the food you are feeding him is worse than any transition side effects he could get.
Look for grain-free, made in the USA treats. I ALWAYS research a company if I've never bought their products before. Treats can be manufactured in the USA but they still import their ingredients from China. But they will still label it as "Made in the USA". If something is not recommended for human consumption it is a no-no. Dogs have way more sensitivities than us so for something not to be deemed worthy for our consumption is not for your dogs consumption.
Under no circumstances feed your dog Blue Buffalo. It nearly killed my dog. They import chicken by products from China now. Pedigree and Iams and horrible horrible dog foods. When I went into my local grocery store not a single dog food was passable for me. Petsmart doesnt seem to carry as many natural brands. Petco has a few more. I got to a place called Pet Club which carries many more natural and grain-free options. You should look into a local dog store that is not Petco or Petsmart.
Recently there has been a complaint of pig hair being found in Pedigree dog food. I would absolutely ditch the food. Don't even worry about transitioning. Because the food you are feeding him is worse than any transition side effects he could get.
For a cheaper alternative to Orijen and the like, look into 4health's grain free line. It's very good quality but less painful on the wallet.
Thanks for the tip! I'm looking online and the price is definitely right AND they carry it at Tractor Supply which is one of the only places around where I live that sells livestock and pet feed. There are about 8 different formulas. Do you have a preference?
4health is exclusive to Tractor Supply Co. I believe.
I'd go with any formula that doesn't contain chicken, as stated before it is a common allergy.
I'd go with any formula that doesn't contain chicken, as stated before it is a common allergy.
Once you switch the food, wait a few weeks and see what happens. Allergies incite allergies. In essence, once the body is having an allergic response to one thing, it's more likely to have a response to something else. For example, I'm allergic to dairy proteins, artificial fragrances and certain metals. If I accidentally eat dairy, a person wearing perfume 20 feet away can set me right off, but if I'm off dairy, and stay away from metals, my husband can wear cologne and it doesn't bother me.
All of their grain-frees are pretty solid. If you're worried about a poultry allergy, there's a beef version, pork version and a whitefish version. I have heard, though have not found out for myself, that the whitefish is a very mild, inoffensive food.
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