My 18 month old Portuguese Water Dog has been suffering with scratching for the last 4 - 6 months. My vet and I were thinking and hoping it was environmental. Now that the colder weather is here I was hoping he would be much better. That is not the case. When he goes on steroid medication the whole issue subsides. However, after being on the medication on 3 separate occasions and having the itchiness come back again he had blood work done and had an full blown allergy test done. He is allergic to some grasses, weeds, trees and fungi with ragweed showing the highest sensitivity. He also showed an allergy to wheat, rice, oatmeal, eggs, beef. He is on a kangaroo diet by Rayne which the vet feel is one of the best and purest foods with the least amount of allergic reactions. He is bathed with a shampoo for sensitive skin every 2 weeks at the vets, more often if he get really dirty, and groomed once a month. It is funny but he seems more itchy first thing in the morning and the second most often time the itchiness is in the evening. He never stops to itch when we are out walking or playing inside or outside during the day. Does anyone have similar issues they have addressed with itchiness that could possibly help? Thank you
http://blog.onespotallergy.com/2014...osed-ingredients-in-rayne-clinical-nutrition/ Rayne admitted to changing the formula a couple of years, ago causing allergies in some dogs, so it is quite possible that they have changed it again since then. Did your vet recommend the food and/or did he sell it to you as being "one of the best and purest foods with the lease amount of allergic reactions"? Perhaps he did not check whether, in fact, it was known to cause ingredients which are known allergens to some dogs.
It can take an age to get the right food for a dog that has intolerances. A lot of trial and error required. On the environmental factors, obviously try to keep away from areas that have high concentrations of the allergen. You might also try a tee shirt while the weather is cooler to keep contact to a minimum.
Thank you for the info. I will check with the vet and possibly change up his food. I think purina has a new food out for dogs that have allergies. Maybe I will try that. I know some people say raw is the way to go but I am not comfortable with that choice.
I feed my girl Wafcol Salmon and Potato. We chose it because it is a novel protein for dogs, ie it takes out all the meat to replace with fish and replaces grains with potato. Once she settled on that, we gradually added one food at a time to see what affected her. She has a true allergy to chicken - the smallest amount makes her ill. She can tolerate beef, cheese and one or two other things. We have also found that four meals a day suits her best. Now she has three meals of Wafcol and one meal of Butchers beef and game and this diet, now we have finally found it, suits her best
Two things in your OP bother me, apart from the fact that your vet has kept prescribing steroids, and has had a "full blown allergy test" done, whatever that is, and in the space of 4 - 6 months has come up with so many allergens and then recommended a known allergen producing food ? So your vet recommends a food which contains a known allergen, and bathes your dog every two weeks?
Thank you for getting back to me. I am going to change his food, contact the breeder to see if I can get any help and talk to the vet to see what else we can do.
I will check into getting him on a different food for sure. The allergy test was done through blood work and was sent to an allergy testing lab. I have a full printed report showing his allergies and tips. He gets bathed which does help for sure to get anything off his skin that is built up over the 2 weeks.
The problem with bathing a dog too often is that it can strip the necessary oils that the skin needs to keep it healthy.
I understand that can be a problem. It is a catch 22 as I am trying to keep whatever is causing the itching soothed. He is defiantly better after being bathed. Thanks for getting back to me.
I am sure that you will have thought of all this already, but here goes. I'm sorry if you think this is a basic question, but is your PWD in a Lion clip? An all over puppy trim might give greater protection. Also, my Beagles had to have a full blood profile done recently. The blood was taken from the jugular, and the vet clipped a 5cm square area to do this. The dog, (who does have a couple of autoimmune conditions), did not react, but my healthy bitch developed a very weepy barbers rash on the clippered area. As the majority of the allergens seem to be environmental, do you damp wipe him after exercise, - and wash his feet? Have you tried antihistamines? Piriton is the one most frequently recommended for dogs. Are you bathing with a prescription shampoo? Malaseb seems to be the one that crops up most frequently in posts about allergic skin conditions. There is a recent drug called Apoquel which seems to have suited some itchy dogs, but the jury seems to be still out on whether it is worth risking the side effects. You may want to have a read up about it if you become desperate! Regarding the digestive allergens, you will not be able to do any definitive feeding trials while you are having to use steroids. I agree with Chris B, and would start with a grain free food with a novel protein source. Lamb, duck and salmon are useful starting points, and choose a food with as few ingredients as possible. My vet told me to allow a minimum of 6 weeks for each trial. Raw feeding has many followers who say it has transformed their dog's health. Over the counter versions are now available, which takes the worry out of balancing a ration. If all else fails ......
I meant to say no my dog doesn't have a lion clip. I am not a fan of the lion clip. I get it when you are competing but he does only agility and disc and in the summer dock jumping.
