Bacca's skin funk is back! Really bad!

[BarbV]

Dogs can have a food allergy or intolerance to any ingredient, so duck, salmon or turkey could be the culprit just as chicken is to other dogs. Dogs can also easily develop an allergy or intolerance to a food despite eating it for years without any issue.

My mom's dog ate the same food and protein for years with no issue and then all of a sudden she developed a skin allergy to chicken. Actually, research shows that dogs who eat the same food or protein for consecutive years are more likely to develop an allergy or intolerance to an ingredient than dogs who rotate food.

You just adjusted his thyroid meds, so if his low thyroid was causing his skin issue, the increased thyroid meds would clear it up in a few weeks. Once his thyroid is stabilized & in the normal range, it should resolve. If it doesn't and the skin medication only helps temporarily (once you stop it it returns), then I would suggest looking into environmental allergies or a food allergy as the cause.

That was the case with my hypothroid dog. It was such a simple fix to switch food. I wish we would've tried it sooner instead of letting her suffer for months with inflamed, flaky skin and spend hundreds on tests and medications.

But hopefully, the new skin meds and increased thyroid meds solve his issue and you don't have to explore other areas.

I actually did not have his med's adjusted. That's the weird thing. He went for his blood work and everything was finally stabilized. We made o change to his dosage.

Only thing that is different is his skin condition. His blood work is now within proper ranges and has been for awhile.

I'll have to consider that he suddenly developed an intolerance to the turkey, salmon and duck proteins, but that does not leave me alot of options. All the other proteins tend to me higher in protein which is no good either. I'll have to look into lamb options maybe.

I hate the idea of changing his diet.

He loves it and did so well on it for so long.....I had to switch him several times to find one that he would eat. The vet did not suggest, btw, that diet was the problem.

So I think I carry on with current diet, finish the anti-biotics and the twice per week baths and then see.

Thanks everyone for your support and sharing of information. If this helps even one other dog owner in dealing with this illness then its time well spent.

Cheers!

 

[take4roll10]

Sorry, I thought his meds were adjusted. Glad his values were stabilized. Definitely wait and see if the meds clear it up first and hopefully it does.

 

[HolisticFurMom]

I actually did not have his med's adjusted. That's the weird thing. He went for his blood work and everything was finally stabilized. We made o change to his dosage.

Only thing that is different is his skin condition. His blood work is now within proper ranges and has been for awhile.

I'll have to consider that he suddenly developed an intolerance to the turkey, salmon and duck proteins, but that does not leave me alot of options. All the other proteins tend to me higher in protein which is no good either. I'll have to look into lamb options maybe.

I hate the idea of changing his diet.

He loves it and did so well on it for so long.....I had to switch him several times to find one that he would eat. The vet did not suggest, btw, that diet was the problem.

So I think I carry on with current diet, finish the anti-biotics and the twice per week baths and then see.

Thanks everyone for your support and sharing of information. If this helps even one other dog owner in dealing with this illness then its time well spent.

Cheers!

There's a very good quality food out that there can be pricey but it has helped so many dogs I've seen who have switched to it. In the end, the owners save money because the vet visits are usually none after switching to the food.

I have a 40lb dog and he eats raw but some weeks we travel and we feed this food; ZiwiPeak. He does great on it and has very similar bowl movements to a raw diet. It's limited in ingredients and also uses only grass-fed animals. I don't feed what the bag says, about half that, and he does fine and never loses any weight. The bag usually suggests more so you can feel assured feeding less is fine. It costs me about $100 a month to feed him this If you're willing to spend that much, and remember the vet visits should decrease, I'd really think about checking it out. Spending more on preventative care is really the way to go so I'd consider trying it out.

 

[Tagg]

Unfortunately most of the dog foods that are readily available to the consumer have hidden ingredients, ie. ones you don't think about as being something that will affect your allergic dog. For example, you buy a food that has lamb as a protein base since your dog is allergic to beef but what's that in the fine print?? Bone meal, what kind of bones did it come from???? Often if the dog is sensitive to chicken it will also be sensitive to other foul - duck, turkey etc. You can also have cross contamination with grains. Most foods have yeast in them, really bad for a dog with yeast issues, either primary or secondary - that one I am ever diligent with because of Phoebe. I got caught once with buying the mini version of Dartford cookies. The normal sized ones are made without yeast but surprise, surprise, the minis do have yeast as seen in the miniature writing on the small packaging. I don't know of a cat kibble that doesn't have yeast in it so if you have a cat you have to be neurotic about the dog getting any of the kibble or cleaning the litter box - yuck. It only takes little more than a lick to set off a reaction.
I'll say it again. If you ever get a chance to set up a seminar with Dr. Anthony Yu from the University of Guelph, than do it. He is a fountain of information, really easy to talk with and I've seen some pretty impressive results on dogs that everyone was throwing their hands in the air about. He's now the "go to" guy when westie rescue has a tough case.
I know how frustrating and expensive it is to work with a dog having skin issues which is why I believe breeders have to get tough on breeding dogs with thyroid issues. Thank goodness we were able to resolve Phoebe's problem, not thyroid related, but miserable for both of us just the same.
I really hope that Bacca's condition can be brought under control fast. Healing thoughts are being sent your way.
Joanne

 

[HolisticFurMom]

Unfortunately most of the dog foods that are readily available to the consumer have hidden ingredients, ie. ones you don't think about as being something that will affect your allergic dog. For example, you buy a food that has lamb as a protein base since your dog is allergic to beef but what's that in the fine print?? Bone meal, what kind of bones did it come from???? Often if the dog is sensitive to chicken it will also be sensitive to other foul - duck, turkey etc. You can also have cross contamination with grains. Most foods have yeast in them, really bad for a dog with yeast issues, either primary or secondary - that one I am ever diligent with because of Phoebe. I got caught once with buying the mini version of Dartford cookies. The normal sized ones are made without yeast but surprise, surprise, the minis do have yeast as seen in the miniature writing on the small packaging. I don't know of a cat kibble that doesn't have yeast in it so if you have a cat you have to be neurotic about the dog getting any of the kibble or cleaning the litter box - yuck. It only takes little more than a lick to set off a reaction.
I'll say it again. If you ever get a chance to set up a seminar with Dr. Anthony Yu from the University of Guelph, than do it. He is a fountain of information, really easy to talk with and I've seen some pretty impressive results on dogs that everyone was throwing their hands in the air about. He's now the "go to" guy when westie rescue has a tough case.
I know how frustrating and expensive it is to work with a dog having skin issues which is why I believe breeders have to get tough on breeding dogs with thyroid issues. Thank goodness we were able to resolve Phoebe's problem, not thyroid related, but miserable for both of us just the same.
I really hope that Bacca's condition can be brought under control fast. Healing thoughts are being sent your way.
Joanne

I think you'd be really impressed with Ziwipeak's ingredients. They are very, very specific about their ingredients. Again, the price is high, but when you factor in trips to the vet and medicines, it will balance out. Really do check it out and remember the bag does suggest more food needs to be fed.

I've also found really good results with enzymes. I get mine from Dr. Mercola. I rescue/foster lots of dogs of all breeds and have seen man, many issues clear up from switching to this food. I remind myself how much it costs to keep going to the vet when I purchase the food because it seems so pricey.

 

[Lynnel]

There's a very good quality food out that there can be pricey but it has helped so many dogs I've seen who have switched to it. In the end, the owners save money because the vet visits are usually none after switching to the food.

I have a 40lb dog and he eats raw but some weeks we travel and we feed this food; ZiwiPeak. He does great on it and has very similar bowl movements to a raw diet. It's limited in ingredients and also uses only grass-fed animals. I don't feed what the bag says, about half that, and he does fine and never loses any weight. The bag usually suggests more so you can feel assured feeding less is fine. It costs me about $100 a month to feed him this If you're willing to spend that much, and remember the vet visits should decrease, I'd really think about checking it out. Spending more on preventative care is really the way to go so I'd consider trying it out.

My concern is thejbpotein is too high for max who has pancreatitus, hypothyroidism allergies to out doors and concerns for his liver. I put him on tooth wild fish a few.months ago he seemed better but now he seems to have another yeast infection and very dry brittle hair so something is off. 91% protein will be a strain on him. I was looking at the salmon mix.

 

[BarbV]

Antiobiotics kicking in. Bacca is definitely getting better. Monday, he'll get another bath which hopefully will loosen up the rest of the scaley skin so that I can brush it out.

I truly don't think its diet. I think its just a symptom of his hypothyrodism that moved into its next phase.

There is no shortage of vet products out there, but when it comes to encymes, sometimes I just give the boys a heaping tablespoon of greek yoguort.

 

[HolisticFurMom]

Antiobiotics kicking in. Bacca is definitely getting better. Monday, he'll get another bath which hopefully will loosen up the rest of the scaley skin so that I can brush it out.

I truly don't think its diet. I think its just a symptom of his hypothyrodism that moved into its next phase.

There is no shortage of vet products out there, but when it comes to encymes, sometimes I just give the boys a heaping tablespoon of greek yoguort.

Yeah, yogurt is good but enzymes need to be given with each meal and the best enzyme for canines are animal-based enzymes. If you're feeding a cooked food it's vital you add back enzymes for your pet or else you there is going to be a constant battle in the belly and in return your pup's health will be affected. It's fine to take a dog in and feed it a cooked diet, but you have to realize because kibble exist because it is more convenient for the human so it's only fair we as humans take a few extra steps and help our animals out with digesting something that's altered. When you add in enzymes you will see their poop load change immediately and that alone tells you it's helping your pup digest what he's being fed better. That and probiotics like yogurt added to a kibble diet would help eliminate so many issues. There is ample research out there showing health begins in the gut so it's vital you give your animal back the good bacteria that goes away when you cook their food. And this applies to EVERY meal you feed that is cooked.

 

[BarbV]

Yeah, yogurt is good but enzymes need to be given with each meal and the best enzyme for canines are animal-based enzymes. If you're feeding a cooked food it's vital you add back enzymes for your pet or else you there is going to be a constant battle in the belly and in return your pup's health will be affected. It's fine to take a dog in and feed it a cooked diet, but you have to realize because kibble exist because it is more convenient for the human so it's only fair we as humans take a few extra steps and help our animals out with digesting something that's altered. When you add in enzymes you will see their poop load change immediately and that alone tells you it's helping your pup digest what he's being fed better. That and probiotics like yogurt added to a kibble diet would help eliminate so many issues. There is ample research out there showing health begins in the gut so it's vital you give your animal back the good bacteria that goes away when you cook their food. And this applies to EVERY meal you feed that is cooked.

I'm not seeing any issues before or after antibiotics with Bacca's digestion, so its all good. He's eating well, his energy is high and his poops normal! Yippee! I can't see why I would add encymes to his diet everyday. His quality diet should be handling that already...in fact, I think it is simply because he seems to be stomaching his antibiotics just fine.

Personally, I don't believe in over-supplementating. I don't think you can go wrong with a squirt of salmon oil, as I do, but I do rely on my dog's kibble to give them the food requirements they require.

I agree that there are different levels of kibble out there. But frankly, when I was a kid, my mom just bought Purina dog chow for our dog. Yeah, the dog had the scoots occasionally, but we just did not fret about it like we do now.

Are we too anal (pun intended) about our dogs?

 

[Tagg]

I gotta tell you that giving Phoebe a bit of yogurt was a big no. Her yeast issues thrived on it. I know, I tried giving her some and the flare up was horrid - worst one she ever had.
I don't know why so many dogs have issues with kibble and I often think that it's amazing how many of us worry ourselves sick over which brands to buy or whether to make food for our dogs while eating highly processed foods ourselves. I do wonder if dogs are more stressed now with the changes in society and it is showing up in health issues. Most dogs now live lives that include being left alone all day, crated far too much, underexercised and understimulated. The opposite is also true. Many dogs are now "performance" dogs that have really high expectations put on them. How much does this affect their ability to stay healthy is a question I ask myself time and again. Do you remember when dogs didn't have to have a dentistry in their whole life? I certainly do so what changed? Hearing about crutiate surgery was a rarity, broken bones more so yet our dogs did things I would hesitate to do now. Food allergies, well that was unheard of and in fact, vets said dogs didn't suffer them. It would be easiest to blame it on breeding but I have to think there is more to it than one simple answer or dogs like Tin should have their skin falling off.
I agree entirely that we shouldn't have to supplement all the time and worry about the amount of supplementation that goes on.
I think the only thing you can do Barb is to trial one thing at a time and if it lasts for more than 6 weeks than you are on to something. Keep really good records of your own. It's a frustrating, and often expensive, path trying to get a dog back to health and balance. I worked with a lady with a Newf that had horrid hot spots that took weeks to even start to heal. It took months to get it under control and longer to get her cleared up. We got lucky as what worked for Phoebe worked for the Newf but it may not be the answer you need. I wish you every bit of luck I can send.