Allergic to food/environment

fidleyspromise

fidleyspromise

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Fiance took dog to vets for his annual vaccination (I also gave him a small list of my concerns as can't face going back to the vets yet).

He came back with tablets (that's fine) and a £90 bag of dog food. WTF!

Poor dog is red between the top of his hind legs and he's started to scratch constantly.
He's a 5yr old, thick-coated, white GSD.

The vet believes it to be an allergic reaction to his food or the environment. Fiance has never taken a dog to the vet as it's always been me that takes them (so he didn't think to check) and when they recommended the diet change, he agreed.

Sorry, but I can't pay £90 every 3 weeks for his food. That's more than my horses cost in food in 3 months.

He was on Arden Grange and the vets have chosen Royal Canin Hypoallergenic. Is there anything else anyone recommends that I don't need to rob a bank for?
 
Try getting the food online its much cheaper than gojng through the vets. If there is a manor pharmacy near you they can get most veterinary diets
 
If you haven't opened the food return it as the ingredients are more likely to cause reactions than chicken Arden Grange.
It may be a food reaction but could equally be a contact/ enviromnment reaction.

Which Arden grange are you feeeding and when did the problem start? Can I guess about the time that grass gets cut?
 
Take the food back!!! No one I know with GSDs feeds RC any more.

AG was developed for and by GSD breeders originally and does a sensitive range and a fish-based range.

It could be any number of things as well as or intead of food - pollen from plants or trees, a household product, a garden product etc.
You can find this out via process of elimination or paying for an allergy test.
NO shop-bought treats, they can be full of rubbish.

My GSD had quite severe allergies and once they were treated via strong drugs they were quite well managed with a cheapish fish and potato based food and 4x Piriton a day.

I am not sure what his breeding is or if you have a pedigree and it may not be relevant if he is white/pet breeding but inbreeding/linebreeding to certain lines will increase the likelyhood for skin and ear problems.
 
Why Vets think this is a suitable diet for a dog with unknown allergies is beyond me -

COMPOSITION: rice, hydrolysed soya protein isolate, animal fats, vegetable fibres, minerals, hydrolysed poultry liver, soya oil, beet pulp, fish oil, Fructo-Oligo-Saccharides (FOS), borage oil, marigold extract (source of lutein). ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 25000 IU, Vitamin D3: 800 IU, E1 (Iron): 125 mg, E2 (Iodine): 2.9 mg, E4 (Copper): 15 mg, E5 (Manganese): 66 mg, E6 (Zinc): 259 mg - Technological additives: Pentasodium triphosphate: 3 g. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 25.5% - Fat content: 20% - Crude ash: 6.3% - Crude fibres: 3.6% - Moisture: 5.5% - Omega 3 essential fatty acids: 0.83% and Omega 6 essential fatty acids: 4.74%.

It may be ok for some instances like pancreatitis but even then there are better options.

When I've had such dogs in I put them on an exclusion diet - pork & potato or chicken & rice or if the owner insists on a complete a single protein one - and they are on tiled floors with vetbeds that have been washed in baby products & double rinsed and exercised on concrete not on grass. It usually takes a couple of weeks but sometimes improvements occur in days.
 
Hi All,

Thanks for the responses.

S4Sugar - Thanks for the PM. It is the Chicken Arden Grange he usually gets. Unfortunately the bag of new food was opened, as he was low on the old food.

It did start about the time grass was cut. We usually walk along the river but that walk has been closed so walks have been around town - so around more cut grass than usual.

CC- I don't know his breeding at all. My mum brought him home one day (she was offended when I asked if he was a lab. Ooops). It was yourself that mentioned AG in a different thread for me, and I've been happy with it and how my dog's been on it.

Lexie - it does sound more likely.

I'll use this bag up and then put him back on AG.
 
I would still have a moan to the vet asking why they supplied a large bag of food when a week's supply would have been enough to see if there was any improvement or indeed if he would eat the stuff.
 
Like I say, AG do sensitivity diets, lamb and rice, salmon and rice etc. Not all dogs get on with chicken.
If it is his rear leg area only it is more likely to be a contact allergy.
My old dog used to have problem areas on his inner arms and thighs, paws, belly, neck, chest and a spot on his shoulder, bless him!! Through process of elimination and according to vet he was allergic to most foods, tree pollen, and the bacteria on his own skin.
 
I would give Symply a go. I have had my 11yr old lab on it for 4 months & the results have been incredible! It's a top quality food with no rubbish in & it's no where near £90 a bag!
The lamb one is excellent for skin conditions!
The vet commented the other day about his amazing condition for his age :) He is once again bounding around like a puppy ( he is on the Senior which has full spec joint sup in) and his coat has a mirror shine.
I own a pet shop & have swapped so many customers over to it, and not one has swapped back!
Wouldn't give you toffee for Royal Canin, evil stuff!
 
s4sugar said:
Why Vets think this is a suitable diet for a dog with unknown allergies is beyond me -

COMPOSITION: rice, hydrolysed soya protein isolate, animal fats, vegetable fibres, minerals, hydrolysed poultry liver, soya oil, beet pulp, fish oil, Fructo-Oligo-Saccharides (FOS), borage oil, marigold extract (source of lutein). ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 25000 IU, Vitamin D3: 800 IU, E1 (Iron): 125 mg, E2 (Iodine): 2.9 mg, E4 (Copper): 15 mg, E5 (Manganese): 66 mg, E6 (Zinc): 259 mg - Technological additives: Pentasodium triphosphate: 3 g. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 25.5% - Fat content: 20% - Crude ash: 6.3% - Crude fibres: 3.6% - Moisture: 5.5% - Omega 3 essential fatty acids: 0.83% and Omega 6 essential fatty acids: 4.74%.

It may be ok for some instances like pancreatitis but even then there are better options.

When I've had such dogs in I put them on an exclusion diet - pork & potato or chicken & rice or if the owner insists on a complete a single protein one - and they are on tiled floors with vetbeds that have been washed in baby products & double rinsed and exercised on concrete not on grass. It usually takes a couple of weeks but sometimes improvements occur in days.
Click to expand...

Crikey, where is the meat in that food?!
 
s4sugar said:
Why Vets think this is a suitable diet for a dog with unknown allergies is beyond me -

COMPOSITION: rice, hydrolysed soya protein isolate, animal fats, vegetable fibres, minerals, hydrolysed poultry liver, soya oil, beet pulp, fish oil, Fructo-Oligo-Saccharides (FOS), borage oil, marigold extract (source of lutein). ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 25000 IU, Vitamin D3: 800 IU, E1 (Iron): 125 mg, E2 (Iodine): 2.9 mg, E4 (Copper): 15 mg, E5 (Manganese): 66 mg, E6 (Zinc): 259 mg - Technological additives: Pentasodium triphosphate: 3 g. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 25.5% - Fat content: 20% - Crude ash: 6.3% - Crude fibres: 3.6% - Moisture: 5.5% - Omega 3 essential fatty acids: 0.83% and Omega 6 essential fatty acids: 4.74%.

It may be ok for some instances like pancreatitis but even then there are better options.

When I've had such dogs in I put them on an exclusion diet - pork & potato or chicken & rice or if the owner insists on a complete a single protein one - and they are on tiled floors with vetbeds that have been washed in baby products & double rinsed and exercised on concrete not on grass. It usually takes a couple of weeks but sometimes improvements occur in days.
Click to expand...

This would send my collie very ill - talk about mixed proteins! I've found, and been advised by a brilliant vet that even chicken and egg can cause problems with fish being the best tolerated BUT every dog is individual on what they react to.
 
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