 Barked: Mon Jan 7, '08 7:41pm PST |
 | |  | | Do you think maybe you have an allergy? It could be a food allergy, or it could be to something in your environment.
Is the shot a depo shot? The one which has stopped working?
There are things you can do at home if it is a food allergy; but if it is something else which you are allergic to, then you need to see a dermatologist.
The most common food allergies for dogs are grains; and proteins. You do "food trials" to see if there is a food which is OK for you.
There are several grain free dog foods out there. One of them is Nature's Variety Raw Instinct. Their web site offers a dealer locator so your mom can find a place nearby which sells it. If it helps you, mom should see a difference in about 2 weeks. Remember, when you are doing a food trial, you can not have ANYTHING except that food. No treats, nibbles, scraps, getting into the other pets' food dishes!
One of the cats here has food allergies, we just went through all this from September to December, so it is still fresh in my mind. That cat had to wear an e collar for 4 months because he was licking and scratching to blood! So we tried the Raw Instinct and there was some improvement but not a lot. So we knew that kitty was allergic to grains and . . . something else!
So next we went to a vet dermatologist for testing. But know what? There are NO reliable allergen tests for FOOD allergies. So she said we need to try the prescription foods. They use proteins which are chemically different. Normally, dog food has proteins from: chicken, turkey, fish, beef and lamb. The prescription foods use: venison, quail, rabbit, duck. And I think there are some others.
ALL the prescription foods are grain free!
So the first one we tried was the venison. It is green peas and venison. And it worked! Within just THREE DAYS we saw a MAJOR improvement in the kitty! Now, all the vets and the dermatologist are going to tell you that you have to do a food trial for 8 weeks. Well, if you are not seeing ANY improvement in a week or so, move on to another food! Improvement does NOT mean the skin is all cleared up and the fur has grown back. THAT will take some time.
If you try foods and there is STILL a problem, that is when the dermatologist can do the testing for things like dust and mold, mites and other junk in the environment. It is expensive and time consuming. That is why they have you do the food tests FIRST!
We were so lucky. Kitty is OK with the venison diet. That is all he gets. He got rid of the e collar, his skin all healed, his fur grew back, and he is one happy CAT!
Feeding time, I put him in one bedroom and close the door. Then I put the food out for the cats, and take his dish in to him. After the cats are done, I pick up and feed the dogs. When THEY are done, I pick up, then open the door and pick up his dish and let him out. So he has plenty of time to eat, he isn't rushed, and NO other food is around when he is out. Now we have done this for several weeks, all I say is "food in the dish" and he RUNS to 'his' bedroom!
I hope some of this will help you!Edited by author Mon Jan 7, '08 7:44pm PST
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my mom is so upset. i have a problem with my skin. i know I'm supposed to have sensitive skin, but i am getting pretty bad. i itch so bad that i chew and lick and chew until i make a bloody spot. now i have them all over. i had to go to the vet- i hate it there. he gave me a shot (ouch!) but i didn't itch so bad. my mom did that every few months when i started getting bad again. but this last time the shot didn't help.
