Changing food and more itching.
 

I could really use some advice. I don't want to keep changing food constantly on Sass. She has tummy problems to begin with and I would like to find a good food for her without too much stress on her little body.

I decided to change my pups food from California Natural Lamb & Rice to a completely grain free food; Natural Balance Fish & Sweet Potato.

I researched both and both are 4 star dog foods from the analysis site.

I have been slowly adding in the new food over the past week. She loves it!
However, I've noticed she seems to be more itchy is scratching a lot more during this week.

Is this normal or should I stop the new food?

Before I am asked - I love my pup dearly, but I am not willing to home cook. :)

Has she ever had an issue with fish in the past?
Maybe try the duck formula through NB?
Where is she scratching?

She is scratching her sides and this morning was licking her paws.

This is the first time she has had fish.

Could you post the ingredients?
It could be allergies (and paws would go with that) but scratching sides may be something else. An environmental allergy? Fleas?

I'm positive she doesn't have fleas. She was scratching her sides worse than this about 6 months. She was scratching herself raw and so I brought her to see the vet and they gave me spray and steroid pill and that made her stop the scratching totally.

She has had a lot of food issues (vomiting/diarrhea) since I got her. The vet is really pushing the prescription science diet on me saying it will help with her tummy problems, possible food allergies and itching. I'm trying to figure out a food on my own because I would prefer a better food for her than Science diet.

Ingrediants in NB fishand sweet potato


Crude Protein 21.0% minimum
Crude Fat 10.0% minimum
Crude Fiber 3.0% maximum
Moisture 10.0% maximum
Calcium 1.0% minimum
Phosphorus 0.9% minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.3% minimum
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) 0.01% minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 2.0% minimum


Sweet Potatoes, Salmon, Salmon Meal, Canola Oil, Potato Fiber, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil (a source of DHA), Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Methionine, Choline Chloride, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

Flaxseed stands out as a possible allergen.
Something I would look at is are there any ingredients in this food that were in another food that she was allergic to? It could still be fish enough though she's never had it or possibly flaxseed.

Was she doing well on Cal. Natural or was she itchy?

FYI, environmental allergies are much more common than food allergies so it's possible it's not the food.

I use the Venison and SP from NB but add packed pumpkin to the kibble with a little water. I really helped with the tummy issues. I personally didn't like the smell of the fish and the duck made their poop very oily.

Did you recently bath or have her groomed? Pebbles is allergic to the groomers shampoo.

I'll compare the two and see. Thanks!

I would I know if it is environmental allergies?

No I have been grooming her totally myself because she was more itchy after they groomed her.


I don't care for the smell of the fish either. Her poop is not oily at all.

What type of shampoo and conditioner are you using? If she were ichier after a grooming I would suspect grooming products. There are certain products that are good for sensitive skin, I'm told that oatmeal based shampoos are helpful. Even dry skin can cause itching, and that's why it's important to use a conditioner, and be sure to rinse really well, so that no soap residue is left on the skin.

I can't recall the name, but it is an oatmeal shampoo for sensitive skin. I haven't bathed her in several weeks because the vet wants me to put the spray they gave me on her and bathe her less. They thought I might be shampooing her too often.

She just sneezed twice. Maybe it's just the changing weather?

Hi!
I can relate to your itchy pup!
My dog, Buddy, is a 2 year old Yorkie. I rescued him.
I got him with no-known allergies, but come to find out, he has SEVERE environmental allergies.

I first thought it was Frontline, so I didn't use it for a few months, but it wasn't that.

Then he cut himself, around his eye, to the point where it was RAW and bleeding. He was constantly, itching his sides and paws too.

I took him to the vet, like you did and he got a steroid injection, which like you stopped the itching almost immediately! He is now on steroid pills. He is on them for about 8 weeks.

I don't know where you are from. But is it cold there? Have you gotten your first DEEP frost and snow yet? My vet said this fall/winter has been one of the worse she has seen for dogs with environmental allergies. She said once the weather freezes and all the pollen, ragweed, etc. die, the pups should be better with allergies. That is why Buddy is on the steroid pills for 8 weeks. She wants to make sure that he is on them until we get all of the allergens dead.

Also, if it is a food allergy, chicken food can cause that. Are you given chicken treats? Bones? If so, try to take them away and see if there is a different.

Also, what type of bowl do you let your furbabe eat out of? Is it plastic, glass, metal, ceramic? If it is plastic or metal, you want to switch to a class or ceramic kind.

(I am trying to remember all of the stuff my vet ask/told me about food and environmental allergies. For the food, chicken and the bowls were the two big questions and she said she felt my dogs allergies were more enviro. because of where he was scratching, ie. face, sides, paws. So if you haven't gotten your frost and if the weather isn't super cold yet, there is a real strong chance it is enviro. allergies.

I would take your babe back to the vet and ask if they should stay on the steroids, maybe the pills, like my Buddy. Also, I don't know if you tried this, but my Buddy was on Benadryl for a while before the itching got severe. You can try that. My vet told me to use children's Benadryl. So call and ask about that.

I hope you get it figured out. I hope I helped (and the other posts) help you out too.

Keep us posted. I am especially concerned to see what happens, as Buddy has itching and enviro. allergies too.

Good luck!

Chester also has the ithies off and on, they say if the prednisone which chester has been on helps then it is not the food it is enviromental. Chester has tearless or hypoallergenic shampoo. I also use all free and clear lauandry soap. I use salmon oil on his wet food and that helps. I will also just put him in the tub and just rinse him off. I also brush him to get the natural oils going. I use perfume free dryer sheets as well, I try anything I can to help.

Just an FYI, it's not safe for them to stay on steriods long term. They can become diabetic or develop Cushings disease if they do. A short course of steriods is safe once and awhile, but it's not safe for long term management of allergies.

Agreed!
I was on steroids for myself, I have Crohn's disease, and I was on them for 8 years STRAIGHT and developed diabetes, hip problems and osteoporosis, at the age of 25!! So be careful with prednisone/steroids. They can also become steroid dependent. Which means, if you are on them for a long while, when you wean off the prednisone, you or the dog (whoever is on them) can get sick when weaned off. So yes, a short course of a month or two every so often, will be ok, but for a long term allergy treatment, we need to put our furbabes on something MUCH safer. Especially since steroids can damage your bones, and our babes are so fragile and small and delicate, so we need to be careful!

My vet also said that allergies are worse for dogs in the fall and spring. They are not as bad for dogs in the winter and summer. So lets hope we can get past this time of year, and get our doggies to stop itching!

Happy holidays!!

Itching
 

I have the same problem with my little Abbi. She is now almost 8 years old and has been tested for allergies and treated with everything under the sun and nothing has helped. We finally got her tested for Cushing's disease (which can cause itching) and lo and behold, she has cushing's disease. We just started her treatment (1 injection every 2 weeks), but I'm hoping this does stop the endless scratching!