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Help! Sensitive skin possible food allergy?

1K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  marksteven 
#1 ·
Hi Im hoping some of you with experience can help me..
I've owned my purebred GS Izzy for 5 years, she is 7y/o now. Previous to me she was at a show home we know she only got one cup of dry soaked a day but never sure what exactly it was they fed her. She looked alot lighter when we first got her also.

In the first year of owning her despite always being treated correctly for fles/worms she would always scratch. We took her to the vets and they said something of possibly having an allergy to protien...?

We had her on some very expensive dry for almost a year but as time got on her started to feed her similar things to what we would feed my Kelpie and she was absolutely fine. No real issues with scratching etc.

Not long ago she started licking her back leg so much that all the hair came off and it got very irritated and sore. When we treated that she started to do it in another spot.. That lasted 2 weeks and then she stopped however she has been itching like mad again.

Of course we treated for fleas straight away but she still does it.

Ive read a little about making her own food from home and just wanted to know maybe what you guys do or make for dogs with sensitive skin or possibly allergy?

Sorry for long post but I really appreciate the help :)
 
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#2 ·
Food allergies are actually not the most common cause of atopic dermatitis (itching).

Signs Your Pet May Have Allergies

Allergies can develop at any point in life, and unfortunately it is pretty difficult to figure out what is causing them. I think it would be helpful for you to record when this is happening and how severe the symptoms are you so you can see if it is related to something she ate, the weather, possible fleas, any changes in bedding or cleaning agents, and anything else you can think of. You may find this is not related to food at all.

Was the expensive dry food she was on eliminating her symptoms? If so, I would use that to conduct an "elimination diet," where you feed her that food until her symptoms go away, and then add in ingredients one by one to see if she has a reaction. It can take a long time for the symptoms to go away (my vet said eight weeks, I have heard anything from 6-16 weeks).

DIY Elimination Diet for Dog and Cat « Dr. Matt Allworth – Veterinarian

If you are going to make homemade dog food, you will need to do a lot of research to make sure you are feeding something that is complete and balanced. There is a lot of information on the internet but unfortunately a lot of it is bad information.

My dog has iffy allergies that are definitely environmental but might also be related to food. I tried a raw diet for a while and it helped...until the weather got warm! Then we were BOTH itching and rubbing our eyes (yay for living in an agricultural valley). So then I knew it wasn't the food after all, even though she does have a sensitive stomach and seems unable to tolerate certain ingredients. We are trying a fish and potato-based kibble and it seems to be helping so far. Raw was also great (her most recent blood test showed her to be in excellent health) but I have had trouble with her getting bad gastroenteritis from certain ingredients.

Something that can help with itchy skin is giving essential fatty acids to your dog to build up the lipid layer on their skin. These are found in marine fish oils and things like evening primrose oil, safflower oil, and coconut oil. I would use products meant for humans and ask your vet about dosages. You can find good stuff at natural food stores.
 
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