LoveToKnow Dogs:AllComments

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Hi Lora,

It's difficult to say. Most food allergies begin with hives, so what you're describing may be more like a case of pyoderma, which would require an antibiotic to get rid of. The best thing you can do is let your vet take a look at the rash and make a proper diagnosis. That's the quickest way to determine what kind of treatment is needed.

Thanks for sharing your situation, and I hope this information helps.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

i have a one year old pit bull .he seems to have acne aroud his mouth could this be a food allergy or just acne?

-- Contributed by: lora batson

Hi Carina,

Thanks for sharing what worked for your dog. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Lorrie, My dog had the same problem we went through meds and sprays and i finally did some research. And figured it wouldn't hurt to try something new. My poor baby would scratch until he was raw and drag himself all over the grass and floor whinning becaues of the itch and he smelled like old corn chips too, yeast infection was the first thing I read on. So I figured i would try natural cures. 1st for a week i gave him semi-raw meat...ground beef and beef stew chuncks just somewhat cooked. I put about a weeks supply in a air tight container in the fridge. Then I bought I huge bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar and a big container of plain yogurt. I stopped the dry food and gave him the meat mixed with yogurt for a week and added about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in his water. For temporary relief I got a spray bottle and did half water and half apple cider vinegar and sprayed him down. It stung a little but its soothed and stopped the itching almost immediately. I bathed him with baby shampoo and then gave him a half water and applecider vinegar rinse. With in a week I saw the difference. He actually slept! As for food...find one with no soy or corn...corn is a big allergen for alot of dogs. Try that and see if it works...worked for my baby. I went to petsmart and did my research I give mine Avoderm lamb and rice formula...but there is blue buffalo and couple others that don't use the corn or soy.

-- Contributed by: Carina

Hi Lorrie,

How wonderful that you took in this poor neglected animal. It sounds as though you're on the right track to addressing your dog's skin problem. Do finish up the medication, and keep the spray on hand in case there's a recurrence of itching. Since you're continuing with the hypoallergenic diet, it seems that all you need to do is stay your current course, and things should be alright. You may eventually be able to test whether your dog still needs the hypoallergenic food. Sometimes one skin scraping isn't enough to determine is a dog has mites because they might not be located in the area where the scraping was taken from. Since the itching stopped within seven days, I suspect the Ivermectin is working on undiagnosed parasites. However, do talk it over with your vet if you decide later on that you want to try a regular diet for your dog. It's important to understand that a food allergy could still be involved, and switching diets might cause the itching to start again.

Thanks for sharing your situation, and best wishes for your dog's health.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Rocky, our 6 month old Lab/Chow mix joined our family the beginning of July. He was a stray and I believe lived on his own for quite awhile. He was on death's door when he was found by a friend. When we got him he had maybe 2 quarter size patches of dry skin. Within a day or two he began to itch like crazy and was losing hair anywhere he could scratch. Took him to the first vet ... skin scrapes came up clean. Told me to use Benedryll. No relief. Vet #2 did skin scrapes ... nothing ... and then said she thought it was a food allergy. She prescribed a steriod spray to be used 2xs a day for 1 week, 1x a day for 2 weeks and then as needed, as well as an allergen free diet, and a 6 week treatment of Ivermectin. I was told for the diet to take affect it would take 4 to 6 weeks. After 7 days of spray, new diet, and 1 dose of Ivermectin the itching has stopped. I stopped using the steriod spray to see if the itching would come back, and it hasn't. I've continued with the allergen free food because it was $78.00 a bag and he's going to eat it. He's had 3 doses of the Ivermectin and I plan on finishing that up. I'm kind of at a loss as to where I should go from here.

-- Contributed by: Lorrie

Hi Barb,

Since you're having difficulty finding a diet that doesn't produce a reaction, it may be best to ask your vet to test and isolate the exact foods or foods that cause the allergy. This way you'll know exactly what to avoid in a mix, and you may be able to quickly find a diet that helps your dog. Keep in mind that it can take a couple of months for the allergen to completely clear the dog's system, so it does take a bit of time to see if a particular brand proves beneficial.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you're soon able to bring the problem under control. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

my dog has had chronic ear infections for 4 years. she was recently diagnosed with food allergies. she has tried kangaroo, chicken and rice and now on salmon and potato. does any one have ideas?

-- Contributed by: barb

Hi Christie,

I'm sorry to hear about your dog's reaction to the food. Perhaps Cesar has changed the formula?

Anyway, thanks for sharing your situation.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I've served my dachshund Cesar dog food for 2 years now. Just this past week he started getting hives when I served the filet mignon flavor. After a $170 vet bill, I've removed wet food from his diet completely. With all of the food tainting and allergen issues, it's just not worth the health concerns and worry.

-- Contributed by: Christie

Hi Kat,

It does sound as though your vet might be off on that diagnosis. I think it's time to ask your vet about an elimination diet or skin testing to reveal the exact allergens that are possibly causing your dog's skin rash. If your vet isn't receptive, you may want to get a second opinion.

Thanks for your question, and I do hope you're able to find your dog some relief.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My Italian Greyhound does suffer fcrom the itchy face, ears, and occassionally paws. My vet chalked it up to Summer Allergies although this last year rounnd while I am considering that it might be food allergies. I'd appreciate any advice please. Thanks, Kat!

-- Contributed by: Katrina

Hi Tammy,

Did you ever have your vet examine your dog after the fur loss and skin problems began? It could be food related, but it would be wise to consult with your vet.

As for your dog's current diet, how is his weight? If he losing weight? If so, you may not have a correct balance of nutrients and proportions. If his weight looks good, he may just love the new food so much that he simply wants more. I'd like to recommend a book called The Natural Pet Food Cook Book by Wendy Nan Rees. It was written under veterinary supervision and offers recipes that are properly balanced and nutritious. The book includes directions on how much to feed according to your dog's size. I happen to have a copy myself, and the recipes are great. You can find this book at Amazon.com.

Thanks for your question, and I hope your dog recovers from his problems.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have 6 chows and have had no problems. Then over a period of about a week one of them lost all of his fur and his skin was just a giant scab from head to tail. So we started making our own food for him. And he started getting his fur back but was acting like he was starving. It did not matter how much we fed him. His food contained cooked oatmeal;carrots; beets; peas; beef; chicken (or tuna);rice or potatoes. Any suggestions.

-- Contributed by: tammy

Hi Carmen,

I'm not sure there's really that much you can do. The problem is internal because your dog ingested the food. It will take time for the allergens to work their way out of your dog's system. Oatmeal baths may bring some mild relief, but it will only be temporary. I know you'd prefer not to see the vet, but the vet could prescribe medication to help your dog through the reaction on a short term basis. I don't believe that would be too expensive. At least now you know you really can't allow your dog to be fed any other type of kibble, so you'll be sure to avoid the problem in future.

Thanks for sharing your situation, and I hope the itching subsides very soon.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Our friend watched our dog while on vacation and I'm not sure why but I allowed her to talk me into feeding my dog the same food she feeds her dogs. It's a different brand than we use and I know that my dog gets very itchy when her diet is changed. Now, of course, my poor pooch is itching like crazy and I feel really horrible for her. Is there anything I can do to ease her discomfort without heading to the vet and spending $200? It's been 3 days and I just gave her a bath to try to clean where she's itching and biting. I could just kick myself for not insisting that she take our dogs food and only let her eat THAT instead of letting the dogs "share". We're very careful not to feedher scraps and such because of this irritation that seems to happen. HELP!

-- Contributed by: Carmen

Hi Emily,

This is an interesting situation, and one that I would definitely address with your vet. It is possible that there is a common ingredient in the kibble that cause your dog to have an instant reaction.

That said, perhaps it is the pelleted food itself that your dog's system is having a hard time dealing with. When you dog throws up, does it basically look like wet whole kibble, or does is look at least partially digested? If it still looks like kibble, the food may actually be regurgitated. This differs from vomit in that the food never truly makes it to the stomach, and it actually sits somewhere in the esophagus until it is forced back up. Dogs that do this on a regular basis may have a condition known as megaesophagus. Megaesophagus is often associated with Canine Myasthenia Gravis.

As you can see, the are several choices for what's going on here, but your vet is the most qualified person to make a diagnosis. Make an appointment, and try to bring a sample of the regurgitation/vomit in with you so the vet can examine it.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

My lab mix has always been fed the Pedigree Adult kind of food (don't yell at me I tried the expensive all natural stuff from the specialty stores but they just constipated her and if and when she did go it was rock hard and bleach white and she was in pain) I went out and bought the 50 pound bag of it and of course she wouldn't eat it anymore. Then her Lyme Disease came back and she wasnt' eating enough to keep her antibiotics down so we stopped giving them to her until she had a good base in her belly. So I switched her to the Iams and everytime she ate that she immediatly vomited, no blood just vomit and always within 5 minutes from eating the food. So we switched her back to a new bag of pedigree (I had her on a rice and ground beef diet and slowly introduced the foods with that for both times I switched the food) And now she's thrown that up too. So my question is could she have developed a food allergy? She had been on the pedigree for 3 years and now all of a sudden she throws that up. Currently shes back on the rice and beef diet and she has never thrown that up unless the kibble was reintroduced. Has anyone had a similar problem that turned out to be allergies or can direct me a little further?

Thanks!

-- Contributed by: Emily

Hi Marie,

I'm sorry to hear your dog is having such severe problems with her ears. Hopefully the elimination diet will prove to be useful. If not, it may be a good idea to reconsider the removal surgery. Sometimes this last option is the best one to eliminate a chronic infection and bring a pet relief. One of my dogs is actually deaf, although not from an ear infection, and I can assure you she enjoys each day to the fullest. We simply have to be careful she doesn't get out of the house or yard on her own.

Thanks for your question, and I hope your vets can find a way to successfully treat your dog's problem soon. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have a 4 year old Rotti who has been battling constant ear infections. The problem is that within 2 weeks of clearing up an ear infection using Steroids and Antibiotics (oral & ear drops)that our little girl lol develops a new ears infection. We have tried everything that i can think off including an Holistic Vet who put her on oral herbal drops twice daily to boost her immunity & took her off all grain products, dry pet food,all forms of treats as most are either beef of wheat based, beef and pork. I will admit that this did slow down the next attack to about 6 weeks but now we are again on the antibiotic merry go round. My poor baby has suffered infections, polyps in her ear canal which required surgery to open up the ear canal and the threat of an operation to remove the ear canal. This is almost sure to leave her deaf in her worst ear and needs to be carried out by a specialist at rather great expense. She has had cultures carried out to find what the bacteria is thats causing the infections and it a comon bacteria of the skin. Help! Is this an allergy?I now believe it is and we are now trying an elimination diet to try and find the cause.

-- Contributed by: Marie

Hi Cristina,

There are lots of homemade recipes you can prepare for your dog. I always recommend the book The Natural Pet Food Cookbook by Wendy Nan Rees. It has great recipes, plus nutritional requirements and feeding suggestions approved by Dr. Kevin Schlanger, DVM. You can find it on Amazon.com. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have a miniature pincher 2 years old, she is allergic to chiken and wheat in the food, almost all foods contains these ingridients. What home made meal can I fix her? rice, maybe?

-- Contributed by: Cristina

Hi Lesley,

It sounds as though a trip to the vet is in order. If you can't see any parasites in the fur, there's still a chance your dog has a mite infestation under the skin. Your vet can diagnose this with a skin scraping. The itching could also be due to some type of food allergy, but you'd typically see hair loss around the ears, face and neck first. Either way, it definitely a good idea to have your vet take a look, and see if he/she can give your dog some relief.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

my dog has been losing her fur around the tummy area and constantly chewing herself. I have bathed her using the correct shampoo but she doesn't seem to stop. i have not seen anything in her fur and she no longer goes out for walks but has plenty of exercise in the back garden as she is now an old lady at the ripe age of 15. can you please help as it must be distressing her as much as me but i feel as though something is seriously wrong with her and would not wish to lose her yet.

-- Contributed by: lesley

i have an 8 month old yellow lab who has been teribly itchy. Wehave had him to the vet numerous times for injections, antibiotics, dips, and have had no luck the rash always comes back within a week or two after the antibiotic is complete. A few days ago we started trying a new dog food called canidae hoping that this will help. We were feeding him purina puppy chow. He did not have any of these problems until he was about 5 or 6 months old. Do yu think it sounds like a food allergy.

Hi Jennifer,

A food allergy is a possibility, and this is something that your vet can test your dog for to isolate the exact food(s) your dog may be allergic to. If it turns out your dog actually does have food allergies, it would help you avoid a lot of trial and error trying different foods.

It can take a couple of months for a food allergy to relent, even after you eliminate the allergen from a dog's diet, so it can take this long to figure out if the diet change is the right one.

Thanks for your question, and I hope your vet is able to provide your dog with some relief.

-- Contributed by: Jennifer

Hi, I have a 16 year old border collie. When he was younger on and off during the summer he would develp hot spots. About 6 months ago I started him on Flint River Ranch food and it appeard early on to help stop the hot spots but now for the past 2 months his skin has gotten very bad. He has large white flakes everywhere head to tail end and is very itchy. The flakes are sticky and moist and stick to his hair when I brush him, I can hardly get them out of his hair. On his face along the sides he appears to be loosing hair. Would this be a food allergy? He has never had anything like this. I thought giving him a high quality food would help him and now I wonder if it has caused this. Thank You Michelle

Hi Michelle,

I'm sorry to hear about your dog's situation. If this is a food allergy, it can happen with even the best of brands. It just takes a single ingredient to spark the allergic reaction.

That said, this could also be some other type of skin condition, and I think you would be wise to let your vet examine your dog and take some skin scrapings and punches in order to make a diagnosis. Hopefully this disorder can be treated and bring your dog back into healthy condition.

Thanks for your question, and please let us know what you find out.

-- Contributed by: Michelle

Is it possible that a 10 month dog could have a food allergy to carrots or apples. My little girl started losing hair in patch's and seems to have some weezing. Thr treats that I was giving to my dogs had those ingreg in them and I recently discovered that the dogs love raw carrots and it seems that sinse they have been eating those is when the problem started. Am taking her to the Vet of course, meantime I worry

Hi Lee Ann,

It's possible, but most dogs aren't allergic to these foods. There are many causes of fur loss in pets, so I'm glad to hear your plan on visiting your vet. Vet's can determine food allergies through testing. The vet can also examine the bare spots and take skin scrapings to figure out if this could be a fungal problem. Either way, I hope the problem is easily treated.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for your dog's health.

-- Contributed by: Lee Ann

My dog has one large blotch on her belly. It is not perfectlly circular. It seemed to have started after a haircut session. We thought it would go away and that it was just razor burn, but it has been there for about 8 weeks. We tried googling it but nothing specific came up. It doesnt seem to bother her, i do catch her licking it, so she knows its there. what could it be? She is on the same food diet, same amount everyday. nothing different. If you have any ideas about what this big red blotch could be on her belly, that would be a better head start.

Hi Cynthia,

Does the blotch look exactly as it did when your dog came home from the groomer's, or has it grown in size since then? What color is it? Razor burns typically look more like scrapes than blotches, so I'm not sure this spot is related to the grooming. There's a chance it could have been there and the grooming just revealed it.

All things considered, I think it would be a good idea to ask your vet to take a look at it. It might be fungal or it could even be a skin cancer lesion. It would be better to figure out exactly what it is.

Thanks for your question, and I hope it doesn't turn out to be anything serious.

-- Contributed by: Cynthia

My dog Rocks has food allergies,he has been on Hills Science Diet Z/D Ultra Allergen-free dog food for 6 years could he develop a allergy to that food.

Hi Sue, although food allergies can take a while to build up, it would be unlikely to see this happen as long as six years on the same diet. I wonder if Hill's has changed the formula recently? This is something to check out, and if you do suspect your dog has developed a new food allergy, you can have your vet perform skin testing to isolate exactly what it is.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for your dog.

-- Contributed by: sue

I have a ten month old Mastiff puppy. He was on a lower quality dog food for the first six months of his life. At six months, I switched him to a high quality holistic formula with lamb meal as the main ingredient, no corn or wheat. Lately, I've noticed he is shedding a lot, chewing at his paws, scratching at his ears a lot, and he has eye discharge and I think it may have something to do with his diet. Rather than put him on "Science Diet prescription" what should I be looking for in a food that will help eliminate these problems?

Hi Gina, actually the most effective way to deal with a food allergy is to have your vet test your dog to isolate the exact food items that are causing the problem. Otherwise you may just prolong the problem by switching diets if the new food has the same problematic ingredient(s). I honestly think this is your best option.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Gina

I have a small schnauzer who has thick black skin in her ears and she is always scratching...I thot it was a grass allery, but its 15 degrees outside! Could this be a food alergy?

Thick black skin indicates a long standing condition. Your dog could have a food allergy, but I would have your vet thoroughly examine those ears to determine exactly what is going on.

Thanks for your question, and I hope your vet can provide some quick relief for your dog's itching.

-- Contributed by: christina

I have a 11 year old dalmation mix. He has been on Gravy Train since the age of 1. About 4 years ago he developed all the symptoms above. We have given him everything to help with the itching and almost lost him from the doctor giving him to many steroids. Food allergies have never been mentioned. Any recommendation on food? I would love to try this to see if the food is a possiblity. He does have symptoms all year. Thanks

Expert Reply

Hi Debbie,

It's really difficult to diagnose skin disorders because there are so many causes that result in symptoms that look the same. Figuring out what makes a dog itch is often a process of trial and error. It sounds as though your tried to relieve the symptoms, but didn't dig deeper to uncover the cause.

Yes, your dog could have developed a food allergy even though he has been on the same brand for years.

First, manufacturers do vary their formulas from time to time so what your dog is getting now might be different from what he was used to.

Second, food allergies take time to build up into noticeable symptoms because it requires repeated exposure to the food source.

There are two routes you can take with this. The best route would be to locate a vet who is experienced in testing for food allergies and have him run the tests on your dog. This is more expensive, but it would reveal exactly which foods, if any, are causing an allergic reaction. Then you know exactly what to avoid.

You could also simply put your dog on Science Diet's prescription hypo-allergenic formula (available at your vet's office), and allow at least a month for his system to clear out in order to see if the food is having any beneficial effect. If it is, you can keep him your dog on this food permanently, but you'll never know what triggered the allergy.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you find these suggestions helpful.

-- Contributed by: Debbie

Hi Gloria,

Wow! It sounds like your really has a problem. I'm sorry to hear he's so uncomfortable.

Has your vet tested him for a yeast infection? This can make a dog's skin extremely itchy, and also contributes to recurring ear infections. Your vet can prescribe an oral antifungal medication if this is the case.

Whatever the cause behind your dog's itching, your vet should be able to prescribe some medication that will bring him some relief. You may have to specifically ask for it, but prednisone is one med that comes to mind.

I hesitate to recommend any of the over-the-counter meds because I have rarely found them very effective. I think your dog will benefit more if your vet is persistent in diagnosing the cause of the itching and treating your pet accordingly.

I truly hope your vet can give your dog some relief.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hi Felicia,

There is a possibility that Lucky is allergic to her antibiotic, so I think you should bring it to your vet's attention. He/She should be able to prescribe a different antibiotic, and hopefully Lucky will be able to tolerate it much better.

In the meantime, I would just offer her a little food at a time, and see if she is able to keep it down easier. You might also try cooking a little ground beef and rice for her to entice her eat. It's also important to make sure she continues to drink so she doesn't become dehydrated. Freshen her water often so it's more enticing to her.

My best wishes for Lucky's speedy recovery, and thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have a small beagle mix he is 13 yrs old, he has no immune system. He has many, many allergies, all been tested by Vets but I would like to find something to make him more comfortable. He has constant ear injections, he chews his feet so there is no more fur on them, he rubs his belly on the carpet or grass because he itches. I have used a variety of over the counter shampoos, sprays, antibiotics etc. He now eats potatoe/duck dry food and that is about it. Do you have any suggestions which I can use to make him more comfortable. He is a wonderful friend.

-- Contributed by: Gloria

Hi i was wondering that i gave my dog Lucky an antibiotic (clavamox it is prepare as PCN amoxicillin...can it cause my dog allergic to it ? since she has been weird and she didnt eat much also she did wasted her bowel as normal no dirrehea but just vomit lot every time she ate her dog food or grass. let me know

-- Contributed by: Felicia
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