Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth, Hermione and Luna on March 14, 2011 at 8:43pm

I know that some folks on this site have needed more than one  food change. Also, our 'Mione needed special shampoo + food change to kill her itchies. (Organic oatmeal + the nubby sponge that gets it way down to her skin).

 

does he get treats or scraps with grain? that can affect. 

 

also, of course the vet can be right- it could be environmental as well as food allergy. Our girl responded to food change, but I know others have had to medicate for allergies.  You may have to go that route.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on March 14, 2011 at 9:10pm

No, environmental allergies would not necessarily cause bad coat or runny eyes. Think of the varied ways humans react to allergens.

You might consider allergy tests. Someone here had them done recently and I was struck by the lack of food allergies in the results. My understanding is true food allergies are rare in dogs.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on March 14, 2011 at 9:23pm

My mistake in that food allergies don't show up in skin tests.  I would still test for environmental allergies before going the diet route.

 

To test for diet allergies, you really need to go to a protein source your dog is not familiar with.  The vet should be able to get you anti-allergen prescription diets that have a very limited number of unusual protein sources.  Using regular food can be tough: dogs might be allergic to eggs, which are in many foods; or to chicken, which is often present even in lamb- or salmon-based formulas.   The prescription diets ensure no likely allergens are present.  They are usually not meant to be a permanent solution; what you do is feed the prescription and if symptoms clear, introduce suspect foods one at a time to see if you can reproduce symptoms.  So, for instance, you'd feed the prescription, and if symptoms improve then feed the dog prescription + egg for awhile to see if the symptoms come back.  If not, then stop the egg and do prescription + chicken, and so on.

 

The reason I'd do the skin tests first is what if you try the food elimination and it turns out pooch is allergic to grass as well as something in the food?   But it's up to you and you might try a short course of a limited ingredient diet to see. 

 

Blue is a good food but most formulas have several proteins and several grains, along with several fruits and veggies.  So it's not really an elimination diet.

 

Good luck.  Think of the people you know.  How many have allergies to pollen, grass, hay, certain fabrics, dyes, etc?  Now, how many have some sort of food allergy?  

 

Dogs are not people, but contact allergies are quite common in both.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on March 14, 2011 at 9:29pm

Here's a good article:

 

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2&aid=143

 

Food allergies only account for about 10% of all allergies.  Contrary to the common implication of corn on message boards, beef, dairy, chicken, lamb, and eggs are all more common sources of allergies.  Elimination diets are VERY hard to follow (no treats, no roaming with the possibility of eating outside--- which for a Corgi would mean walking in a muzzle for most of us with all but the best-trained dogs).    

 

Which is why it's better to rule out other allergies first.  

 

Again, best of luck!

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on March 14, 2011 at 9:31pm

Science Diet does have corn in the food and so the Blue (if it's what I think) has no corn which is a very good thing, his coat has improved because of the better food.. He might have some other allergies it's hard to say. Do you bathe him often that his skin could be dry? Have you ever tried benadryl to see if that helps with his itching (not for long term use but at least occasional relief. It could be environmental.He's very cute and I hope you find him some quick relief!

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on March 14, 2011 at 10:01pm

My Sparty at about 1 1/2 years started itching terribly. He tore huge gashes in his neck, face and ears. We tried a few different food changes but my vet indicated that the signs were that he needed allergy testing. After a  year of prednisone when he was at his worst we had the testing done and it turned out he was highly allergic to many things..grass,house dust, thistle, dandelions etc. We have been giving him monthly allergy shots (not hard to administer because it is under the skin) for about 10 years and he is great. Occasionally in the fall he still needs a round of prednisone but his daily life is good. The vet at MSU vet hospital said she rarely saw corgis with severe allergies and that shots were effective in about 80% of dogs. We were lucky and I hope you are too.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on March 14, 2011 at 10:07pm

Just was poking around online and found some dogs are even allergic to people!!!   Or cats.  Or even other dogs.  Goodness.

 

Bev has good advice, having lived with it.  

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on March 14, 2011 at 10:25pm

It sounds to me like environmental allergies too. Some dogs are allergic to things like grass, pollen, dust. You can try supplementing his food with fish oils and giving him oatmeal baths to help relieve the itching. Also benadryl may help if it is allergies, or a vet prescribed anti-histamine. The only way to truly rule out food allergies would be to put him on a food he has NEVER been on before (i.e. a grain free kibble with a new meat source like lamb, buffalo, or salmon instead of the typical chicken or beef). Most dogs have allergies to corn, grains, or chicken/beef so it'd be worth trying a food that is grain free to rule out food allergies. You won't see an improvement for a few months. He may also have flea allergies, meaning one flea can cause A TON of itching for him. One flea you likely would never even see. First step I think would be add some fish oil and see how that helps

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on March 14, 2011 at 10:30pm

Also, as Beth said, food allergies aren't as common as they seem. Most of the time a food allergy will show up as vomiting or diarrhea not so much as itchy skin, although it does happen. Also Blue Buffalo makes a Basics formula that has limited ingredients, Natural Balance (believe) also makes a limited ingredient food.

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