What to look for in dog food???
Submitted by Nickieanddozie on June 9, 2011 - 12:28pmI'm having a difficult time trying to find a dog food for dozer. He's been shedding like it's going out of style for the last 2 weeks, everything he brushes up against is COVERED with white hair. I think he's been super allergic to something I just can't figure out what, lately he's been dragging his face against the rug to the point where he's making his self bleed ;(, I give him a benadryl in the morning, and one at night before we go to bed. Right now he's on the beneful yellow bag which is the salmon and rice. He was good on it for about 3 weeks and he's starting to scratch again. We've had him on the natural balance ( venicine and rice, and the duck formula) but both times he was pooping mins after even causing diarrhea. He can't have chicken at all, he's gets really weird when he's on anything with chicken. I just can't pin point, Last month he was doing great. His skin was beautiful not itchies, no nothing!. It makes me so sad cause I know he's not happy, we were also walking a lot then as well, since were not walking as much either cause its been getting hot this is starting to flare up, can it be the less walking as well?... Were going to the vet on Tuesday, for his face, and these little pimple red spots that started to come up, once they pop then scab and the hair falls off and it's super raw, and he's forming theese scabby pumps on his head that the hair is falling out of.... Sorry it's so long! Any suggestions will help! Thank you!!
Nicole and D ;)
Nicole, Dozer and baby harley <3
You need to switch to a grain free food...
that will help with the itchiness. Taste of the Wild and Natural balance have grain frees (no rice, oatmeal, etc). Also, try giving him a fish oil capsule daily.
Could be a lot things other then dog food
although food seems to be a popular problem. Grain free is a good place to start and stop all supplements. His problems may be related to the shampoo you use on him, laundry soap, any treats, floor cleaners, pollen, mold spores etc., For now, I would try a limited ingredients/grain free food, maybe try a fish based food.
Lynn King CPDT-KA
Poor guy!
Same as your bully, Onslow can't have chicken or grains either so we have him on Taste of the Wild Bison and Venicin. He's done great on it. They will send samples - I would try that before buying a large bag.
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
Is this fellow a puppy? If he's less then 2, have the vet scrape him for mites. Demodectic Mange makes the hair fall out and is more common in adolescent dogs. Onslow went thru it at around 4 months old. It could also be an allergic reaction or some kind of infection. Hope he feels better soon.
He's 7 and 1/2 months
He's 7 and 1/2 months old.... At 55 lbs he's a little chunks butt.... :). We currently In a basement apartment, my husband religiously checks for mold as much as he can, before we got D- we had a few mold outbreaks..... I haven't really switched detergents cause my husband an allergy to certain ones so I'm super limited on which brands I can use.... We had a check up about a month ago when he was haveing an allergy moment and the vet said that he didn't have the mites, he was clear so hzoepfully when we go Tuesday he'll be good ;),
Ooo ok I didn't know that they could have the grain allergy as well, I'll have to check his food now and see. I wonder if that's making him freak.... Were almost done with this back of food, I'll try the others that you guys recommended!!. Thanks so much ;)
Nicole, Dozer and baby harley <3
Should I be giving his some
Should I be giving his some sort of fish oil as well??? In with his dinner also??
Nicole, Dozer and baby harley <3
yes fish oil is so good for them, helps coat and heart
you can give one capsule in his food, we do every other night. =) I would recommend that for every dog.
If he came up clean before it could be an allergy thing. My boy has them and in March - April he has a breakout every year. This year it was a bacterial infection pimples turned to scabs and hair falling out. Nothing that some medicated baths and meds didn't fix. Good luck.
You said above
that he didn't do well on a fish based food. You will know for sure if he has a fish allergy, if he exhibits symptoms on the fish oil. Monitor him closely and keep the benadryl on hand until you know he's ok with it.
Hmm
if your hubby has allergies too, it might benefit you to get a hepa filter to keep in the room they are in the most. I switched from commercial cleaners to natural ones, mop the floor with vinegar water, make a glass cleaner out of rubbing alchol, vinegar and water etc., You can google natural cleaners. Better for all of us.
I have had good luck with Arm and Hammer Detergent. Tide made Onslow break out immediately in hives. ;)
I was reading your other post
I was reading your other post about onslaw and that's what made me so cautious about the bumps cause they seems to look about the same way!.
I think the venicine was bothering him the most, the fish just made his farts smell hardcore! Haha. But if it's a matter of that I'll deal with some smelly farts then his not feel good!. I do have the hepa filter in the living room where he spends most of his time.... I'm deff going to look in tot he natural cleaners!!.
Nicole, Dozer and baby harley <3
To help with gas, you can feed a tablespoon of..
Fat Free, Plain yogurt twice a day. I do for my 4 dogs (only one is a Bully) and they are pretty gas free and eat well. I feed Taste Of the Wild Lamb variety and my girls all do well on it. I give a Salmon Oil pill daily in their feed. I buy Spring Valley brand at Wal-Mart, the Wild Norwegian Salmon oil. They eat the whole capsule right up! Also, to help your boy's immune system, you can give a low dose vitamin c daily. I give it in the form of Vitamin C combined with Cranberry pills for urinary tract health.
Amy and Sophia