Question About Beef Liver Treats

[Daggles]

My GSD has had itchy skin since he was 15 weeks old, he is now almost 11 months old.

His itching has been under control for about 6 weeks now with the exclusion of Beef and oatmeal from his diet and with the addition of evening primrose and fish oil to his food.

Except that over the past week I have been training him almost daily with dried Beef liver, I didnt give it a thought until yesterday when I notice he is scratching heavily again.

Over the past week I would say he has had 1/2 a packet of the liver, do you think that is enough to cause the itchiness?

He has also just spent Easter in the home of a SWF who is also very itchy, has been for sometime but never been to the vet about it. He was also at the same home (inlaws) when he was a pup and his itching because cronic at 15 weeks. So now I am wondering if the SWF has mange or mites and Maverick picked them up from there when he was a pup. I gave him revolution a few months back just incase and I gave him another lot yesterday.

He never plays with the SWF, it mostly lives inside and is antisocial but could the mites be in its backyard?

[4 Paws]

Does he get a smell about him ,even quite soon after bathing?

One of my gsd's used to itch constantly and I had her to the vet who said it was probably an air-borne allergy so hard to pin point.They put her in medication which only controlled it a little.When I went back to get some more tables another vet commented it could be a yeast infection as apparently gsd's are prone to it,so I started her on malaseb baths whcih also controlled it but never realy stopped it

I changed her food over to Nutro Lamb and Rice and after about 6 weeks on that the itching stopped.I.'ve also added Healthy Paws Capsules which contain the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA

[lucknow]

I would definately be suspicious of the liver treats. I doubt mites are an issue as their life cycle is dependant on a host.

[The Spotted Devil]

Absolutely it's enough! Dallies tend to have sensitive skin so I am very careful with treats I feed - always natural, no preservatives, chicken based. However, idiot me wasn't thinking last week and gave Zig just a few cat treats as part of his training rewards (maybe 1/4 packet) that I found in the cupboard without checking the packet. Suddenly, Zig's skin came up in a few dry bumps on his back. I stopped feeding them completely and within 24 hours, the lumps have started to settle down - checked the packet and it's full of preservatives and beef :rolleyes: Not sure if either or both caused the problem but I'm sure I've found the culprit. Stoopid Spotted Devil Mother

Edited March 27, 2008 by The Spotted Devil

[Poodle wrangler]

Short answer: YES.

What about other treats? e.g. tiny pieces of cooked chicken etc.?

Not sure about the SWF- many of them seem prone to allergies, though. Could be anything, including resistant fleas.

[Daggles]

Does he get a smell about him ,even quite soon after bathing?

One of my gsd's used to itch constantly and I had her to the vet who said it was probably an air-borne allergy so hard to pin point.They put her in medication which only controlled it a little.When I went back to get some more tables another vet commented it could be a yeast infection as apparently gsd's are prone to it,so I started her on malaseb baths whcih also controlled it but never realy stopped it

I changed her food over to Nutro Lamb and Rice and after about 6 weeks on that the itching stopped.I.'ve also added Healthy Paws Capsules which contain the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA

No he doesn't get a smell about him after washing but he use to.

Funny you mention the Nutro Lamb and Rice because he is 1/2 through his second large bag and I too think it has contributed to his itching subsiding.

Been to 3 vets and tried many treatments natural and not so.

[Daggles]

Absolutely it's enough! Dallies tend to have sensitive skin so I am very careful with treats I feed - always natural, no preservatives, chicken based. However, idiot me wasn't thinking last week and gave Zig just a few cat treats as part of his training rewards (maybe 1/4 packet) that I found in the cupboard without checking the packet. Suddenly, Zig's skin came up in a few dry bumps on his back. I stopped feeding them completely and within 24 hours, the lumps have started to settle down - checked the packet and it's full of preservatives and beef :rolleyes: Not sure if either or both caused the problem but I'm sure I've found the culprit. Stoopid Spotted Devil Mother

Short answer: YES.

What about other treats? e.g. tiny pieces of cooked chicken etc.?

Not sure about the SWF- many of them seem prone to allergies, though. Could be anything, including resistant fleas.

Ok so the beef liver treats need to stop.

Spotted Devil, what training treats do you use?

Cooked chicken is impractical because it needs to be planned and is kind of messy.

I use treats when we are caravaning and we might go for a walk, when we see another dog he tends to want to lunge to at it (to play) so I sit him and then reward him with the treat as the other dog walks by, kind of diverts his attention.

As well as using them for most daily training, Liver treat seemed high value to him.

Can you get Lamb Liver anywhere?

about the SWF I just thought if she had mange or mites Maverick could have caught them off her.

[The Spotted Devil]

For training treats I keep chicken thighs in the freezer - microwave one for 3-4 mins, chop it up and it lasts for a good 3 or 4 days training - VERY high value for my lad. Doesn't get messy (and is well worth the effort!) if you pack it in small bags/plastic containers/foil wrap. I also use 4 legs chicken and vegie - you can buy it from the supermarket in the fridge section - it comes in small balls which I chop up into 4 pieces and put in the container with the chicken - VERY high value.

I also use Nature's Gift chicken treats (available from the supermarket) - good stuff, all natural...I've even visited the factory! Plus my local boutique-style pet shop sells packaged treats which are all natural and terrific for giving a "jackpot" after a lovely recall or similar. Cheese is another option - Zig loves it but, unfortunately, his tummy doesn't Other people use small pieces of raw carrot, sweet potato or apple - I plan to add these in as I get more organised.

It's best to have a wide variety of treats so the little rascals never know what's coming Happy training

[benny123]

Absolutely it's enough! Dallies tend to have sensitive skin so I am very careful with treats I feed - always natural, no preservatives, chicken based. However, idiot me wasn't thinking last week and gave Zig just a few cat treats as part of his training rewards (maybe 1/4 packet) that I found in the cupboard without checking the packet. Suddenly, Zig's skin came up in a few dry bumps on his back. I stopped feeding them completely and within 24 hours, the lumps have started to settle down - checked the packet and it's full of preservatives and beef Not sure if either or both caused the problem but I'm sure I've found the culprit. Stoopid Spotted Devil Mother

Short answer: YES.

What about other treats? e.g. tiny pieces of cooked chicken etc.?

Not sure about the SWF- many of them seem prone to allergies, though. Could be anything, including resistant fleas.

Ok so the beef liver treats need to stop.

Spotted Devil, what training treats do you use?

Cooked chicken is impractical because it needs to be planned and is kind of messy.

I use treats when we are caravaning and we might go for a walk, when we see another dog he tends to want to lunge to at it (to play) so I sit him and then reward him with the treat as the other dog walks by, kind of diverts his attention.

As well as using them for most daily training, Liver treat seemed high value to him.

Can you get Lamb Liver anywhere?

about the SWF I just thought if she had mange or mites Maverick could have caught them off her.

Not sure if you can get lamb liver treats anywhere. I buy a lambs fry from the butcher and make the training treats at home.

I poach it (as it's easier to slice after poaching) and then slice it thinly and dry it in a single layer in the oven (about 160c). I then store it in a container in the fridge. It lasts for weeks.

[4 Paws]

I recently got some chicken liver treats from Petbarn and I noticed them at the supermarket as well.Think they were Kramar brand and i'm sure they had no presertatives etc in them.Not sure if i've seen lamb liver though

I'm also trying to track down some natural tuna and sardine treats as well

[The Spotted Devil]

Just added a new training treat to the mix that the lad went mad for - chopped, boiled egg

[4 Paws]

Just discovered Ziwi Peak make a Lamb liver treat (I've actually got a pack but didn't think about them!)

[Guest Tess32]

I recently got some chicken liver treats from Petbarn and I noticed them at the supermarket as well.Think they were Kramar brand and i'm sure they had no presertatives etc in them.Not sure if i've seen lamb liver though

I'm also trying to track down some natural tuna and sardine treats as well

All three of my dogs absolutely HATE those Kramar brand liver treats!

[tarope]

Hi Daggles,

My GSD boy Rex was an itchy boy, it started about 2yrs ago he is now 5yrs old and I have tried everything. The vets don't know what causes it and it's not a breed thing, my other GSD Tara is not affected in any way.

I too have changed his food, treats and washed him in several med. washes over many months but nothing helped except for a vet drug called Prednil. He is on one tab per day, which is a low dose and theres no more itch.

Allergies are a real pain and it's a life long thing, theres no cure I'm told so management is the answer.

He had a skin scrape which showed nothing and why it took 3yrs to develope is anyones guess.

As all dogs are different you might find something that works for you, but Prednil was the only thing that worked for Rex anyway good luck.