Dog Food Allergy? Pls Help

[pinky11]

pls help my little guy has been on pro plan puppy since i got him 5 weeks ago but in the last 2 weeks he has been stratching alot, i mean all the time, hes getting a very red belly with welts so i'm thinking he might have an allergy to his feed, he also eats chicken necks, beef bones but nothing else has changed.

any advice would be greatly appreciated

[VJB]

Could there be anything in the garden that could be causing him to break out in welts? Some weeds and plants can cause quite bad reactions.

[pinky11]

Could there be anything in the garden that could be causing him to break out in welts? Some weeds and plants can cause quite bad reactions.

yeah i dont know his welts are from him statching all the time, nothin else has changed even in yard/garden always mowed short, no new plants in garden

[Stitch]

Have you checked for the obvious ie. fleas?? Of course just because you can't see them doesn't mean they aren't there.

However, if you are using a flea preventative then I suggest you try BARF diet or similar ie one that doesn't have any artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives.

If that doesn't work for you and you want to work out exactly what, if anything, your dog is allergic to in its diet then you have to do the elimination diet which can be a bit of a pain to go through.

[Loraine]

Could there be anything in the garden that could be causing him to break out in welts? Some weeds and plants can cause quite bad reactions.

yeah i dont know his welts are from him statching all the time, nothin else has changed even in yard/garden always mowed short, no new plants in garden

Whilst you may not have put new plants into your garden the puppy is new to the garden, and many common plansts can causing itching (especially as his belly may be touching the planst)

Tkane from this website -

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s983350.htm

Our gardens are places where our pets spend much of their time, but most people probably don’t realise that often the two do not go together. There are a number of commonly grown plants that are highly toxic to both small and large animals. Pets are curious, exploratory and they love chewing a large range of plant material. There are hundreds of commonly grown plants that are potentially toxic to the animals around us. Marijuana is one that has an unpleasant effect on both dogs and cats, but it is dogs that are usually the victims. Animals often vomit, are usually quite sedated but with episodes of agitation and abnormal behaviour, and have very fast or slow heart rates and can actually seizure or become comatose.

It is not just domestic pets that eat toxic plants. Livestock are often poisoned by eating ornamental plants, especially in country areas. Cupressus macrocarpa Monterey Cypress, and common shrubs such as Common Yew Taxux accata, rhododendrons and azaleas and Nerium oleander cvs. have all poisoned livestock. These garden plants should not be made accessible to them, or avoid planting them if there is any risk of animals coming into contact with them.

It is only in the last few years that the veterinary community has become aware of lilium toxicity, especially to domestic cats. All parts of the plant are toxic to cats; the roots, stems, leaves and flowers and even the stamens. Veterinary surgeon at the University of Sydney, Jody Braddock astutely diagnosed lilium poisoning in a young cat some time ago and saved its life. The kitten lived indoors in an apartment, and plants were not a familiar part of its territory. The arrival of a bouquet of flowers stimulated its curiosity, and the evidence of teeth marks in the leaves showed that it was all that was needed to make the kitten extremely sick. The toxin initially causes some inflammation of the stomach, and progresses to acute renal failure and potential death within 3 to 5 days if it is left untreated.

Glory Lily Gloriosa superba poses a major problem. Not only is every part of this plant toxic to humans and animals, but it has escaped from gardens and has established itself on the sand dunes of northern NSW and Queensland and has become an environmental problem as well. The plant produces a lot of seeds and rhizomes as well, but the main reason that it has spread is because people are dumping it as garden waste in the bush. So not only is it toxic to cattle and dogs and cats, but it is also killing our native kangaroos and wallabies.

Nepeta cataria Catnip is actually attractive to pets. It contains nepeta lactone, a substance that for some cats is absolute bliss. They sniff it roll in it and generally become euphoric, but interestingly only cats that carry a specific gene find the plant attractive.

Just because we can eat something does not mean that it is safe for our pets. Both the leaves and the fruit of Avocado Persea Americana can cause heart failure if fed to caged birds such as budgies and canaries, and other pets. Macadamia nuts, although delicious to us, are toxic to dogs. They create severe abdominal cramping, joint pain, a high fever and a hind limb gait abnormality. There is little that can be done, except for supportive care and pain-killers and the symptoms will disappear after a few days.

All state departments of agriculture have excellent websites that give information about noxious plants, or ring your local vet, who will help you. Visit the website: www.agriculture.gov.au

[oakway]

If it is only on the stomach area I'd think it was something in contact with the skin. If it was food related I would expect it to be on the body to.

Cheers.

[persephone]

Your puppy could be allergic to plants/ ingredients in floor cleaner/laundry detergent or disifectant.

Very likely it is grass or plant related... what did the vet say? Hopefully you have something to help ease the itches- lots of scratching= broken skin= possible infection.

???ant bites??

Edited May 11, 2009 by persephone

[sas]

Realisticaly it could be anything.

Rule some things out in terms of search your garden for plants dogs can get allergic reactions too.

Think of anything that has changed, i.e. have you used a foam capret cleaner/deordiriser, different washing liquid, used Nappy San on Dogs beddign or towels used to dry the dog after a bath, is the dog bedding clean and been washed in hot water recently?

Sometimes synthetic materials in dog beddings can upsettle skin, any blankets used recently like the fake minky blankets?

At this stage it's pretty unlikely to be the food especially if you have been feeding what your feeder fed and you have continued that for the last 5 weeks.

Have you given any new treats?

Do you use a catcher when you mow the lawns?

Sometimes it's a good idea to treat for fleas every 2 weeks for a month or so and see if that assists, you don't have to see them on your dog for them to irritate your dog.

You can wash the tummy area in cool water then once dry get a spray bottle do up a 50/50 mixture of White Vinegar and White and spray on the affected areas and see if that helps.

If you have these symptons for more than a week, it's best to visit your Vet.

Also, just because it's on the tummy that does not mean it's a contact allergy.

Contact his Breeder to let them know, they may have some insight for you and be able to give advice.

Edited May 11, 2009 by sas