[Allidog]

My 8 year old Alli is constantly itching and licking. The vet told me to give her benedryl daily. She has had a few skin infections and needed to take antibiotics. I don't want to be giving my dog medicine - especially if there is a food that will help with this issue. Currently, i feed her grain-free kibble but I am willing to give her something that will help her with the itching. Is this skin condition prevalent in Shepherd's? If so, is there a food that will help alleviate these symptoms?

Please help my dog!!

 

[Jax08]

How do you know these are food related? Food allergies are actually a very small percentage. Are her symptoms year round? Or only during certain seasons?

Here's an interesting article
Selective Immunoglobulin A Deficiency in Pets

 

[qbchottu]

What food are you feeding?

 

[Allidog]

Nutro grain free

 

[Allidog]

I have been basing this "food allergy" from information from the vet. Her symptoms begin in the Spring and into Fall. However, she does experience itching in the winter too - its just not as bad.

 

[Msmaria]

My vet said to use a LID (limited ingredients ) dog food until we rule out what the food allergy was. The first food we gave up was chicken and grains, that seems to be doing the trick.

 

[qbchottu]

Try one of the LID Natural Balance formulas. Go with a novel protein like fish, venison, or buffalo for example. Keep her on it for a few weeks and look for improvement.

Add extras like coconut oil, salmon oil, Olewo carrots/beets, yogurt, probiotics.

What kind of flea/tick prevention are you using? Do you apply lawn treatments? Is she around anything that might trigger an allergic reaction? Allergies and skin issues are common problems in the GSD - hope you find a solution

 

[Jax08]

I have been basing this "food allergy" from information from the vet. Her symptoms begin in the Spring and into Fall. However, she does experience itching in the winter too - its just not as bad.

If it's worse during the pollen seasons then I would guess part of it is environmental.

Local, raw, honey helped my Jax and Courtney's dogs. I give 1 tsp per day. Claritin barely kept it all under control but she was still uncomfortable. It all went away once I started giving her the honey. It's like a natural allergy shot. You just have to make sure the pollens in the honey are the ones active during that time. My beekeeper collects twice a year. Mid summer and fall so I give the spring honey (collected in midsummer) until about July and then switch to the fall honey.

 

[Allidog]

Thank you for sharing this article - very interesting. I think it is time to find a new vet! However, I am still curious about the food. I don't think Nurto is a good choice since their food is comprised of meat by-products (just learned this today).

 

[Allidog]

I do give her Frontline monthly - our backyard is wooded. As far as lawn treatments, none this season. Thank you the input on food and extras!

 

[Jax08]

Thank you for sharing this article - very interesting. I think it is time to find a new vet! However, I am still curious about the food. I don't think Nurto is a good choice since their food is comprised of meat by-products (just learned this today).

As far as food goes, I would go with gbchottu's advice.

Try one of the LID Natural Balance formulas. Go with a novel protein like fish, venison, or buffalo for example. Keep her on it for a few weeks and look for improvement.

Add extras like coconut oil, salmon oil, Olewo carrots/beets, yogurt, probiotics.

What kind of flea/tick prevention are you using? Do you apply lawn treatments? Is she around anything that might trigger an allergic reaction? Allergies and skin issues are common problems in the GSD - hope you find a solution

 

[Allidog]

Honey!! I will try this - assuming i can purchase "fall" honey in grocery store.

 

[Allidog]

So i guess grain free is not the answer as my vet indicated. This is so frustrating! More so for my poor girl

 

[Jax08]

Honey!! I will try this - assuming i can purchase "fall" honey in grocery store.

Look for a farmer's market. You need to be in about a 50 mile radius. Grocery store honey is going to be pasteurized and NOT what you want. It needs to be local and unpasteurized. Farmer's markets should have local honey from local beekeepers.

So i guess grain free is not the answer as my vet indicated. This is so frustrating! More so for my poor girl

Not necessarily. The LID foods typically have a single protein and sweet potatoes or white potatoes. Grains could be the allergy moreso than meats. The goal is to narrow down both the protein and carb ingredients.

 

[Msmaria]

If it's worse during the pollen seasons then I would guess part of it is environmental.

Local, raw, honey helped my Jax and Courtney's dogs. I give 1 tsp per day. Claritin barely kept it all under control but she was still uncomfortable. It all went away once I started giving her the honey. It's like a natural allergy shot. You just have to make sure the pollens in the honey are the ones active during that time. My beekeeper collects twice a year. Mid summer and fall so I give the spring honey (collected in midsummer) until about July and then switch to the fall honey.

i heard the same thing from our farmers market re: bee honey helping allergies. I forgot all about it til now, thanks for posting.

 

[Jax08]

I swear by it! Could not believe the difference it made. I know you hear about these natural remedies but they rarely seem to work. This really did! I assume that it depends on what you are allergic too. If it's grasses, honey probably won't help. But if it's anything that flowers then it should.

The place I buy it told me 50% of his honey is sold to people with allergies and some were able to stop taking steroids and meds.

 

[Allidog]

Thak you for this valuable information. It's funny that this morning I was reading the newspaper and there on the front page of the Neighbor section was a story on a beekeeper at a farm about 30 miles from our house! Thought I would share with you!

 

[lzver]

Try one of the LID Natural Balance formulas. Go with a novel protein like fish, venison, or buffalo for example. Keep her on it for a few weeks and look for improvement.

Add extras like coconut oil, salmon oil, Olewo carrots/beets, yogurt, probiotics.

What kind of flea/tick prevention are you using? Do you apply lawn treatments? Is she around anything that might trigger an allergic reaction? Allergies and skin issues are common problems in the GSD - hope you find a solution

^^^ I agree with what was said above.

The addition of coconut oil and wild Alaskan salmon oil will definitely help with allergy and skin issues.

Our GSD had allergy issues last year. We have him on home cooked food and add the coconut oil and salmon oil ... I hated giving Benadryl all the time and seeked out other solutions.

 

[Jax08]

Thak you for this valuable information. It's funny that this morning I was reading the newspaper and there on the front page of the Neighbor section was a story on a beekeeper at a farm about 30 miles from our house! Thought I would share with you!

Good! They are out there.

 

[dakotaandhearts]

I feed pro plan sensitive skin sensitive stomach and use coconut oil on dry patches - mine has summer skin allergies


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