# Dog allergies, switching foods, how long til you see results?



## firedancer722

Hi all,

I'll try to make this brief... When I first got Charlie in April, I put him on Canidae ALS. He loved it, and I liked the price and felt it was pretty good quality for what it cost. His poops never really were very firm though, usually kind of mushy and hard to pick up with the mutt mitt at the dog parks, etc. And the volume was quite large. I wasn't used to having a big dog, so I just thought it was normal size. Well, since i brought him home, he has always done this 'head shaking' thing like he's got water in his ears. I've checked his ears and they look fine to me. 

About 6 weeks after I got him, I noticed he was scratching a LOT more frequently, but it was also pollen season. I kinda brushed it off as seasonal allergies, but after talking to a lady that owns a small holistic pet store, she said he could have food allergies since he scratches and bites at his legs and feet a lot. So, we decided to go with a single meat food and she recommended a food called Nutrisource. It's not well-known but she seemed very confident in the food and it had a money-back guarantee. I thought we'd just try the chicken and rice to see how he did. It had no corn, wheat, soy, or by-products. Well, after about 3 weeks on this food, Charlie's itching was not better, and in fact, he started getting scabby looking sores on his neck, belly, and groin. And a few on his legs. His poops also weren't much different than on Canidae.  I was beside myself about the sores and immediately took the food back and told her what had happened. She decided he may be allergic to chicken and possibly grains, so suggested I try a grain free food with fish. 

So, I settled on Acana Pacifica. He's been on the Acana solely for 10 days now. He's still itchy and he still has little sores.  His poops ARE better though... much smaller, firmer, like big tootsie rolls. LOL I can also tell a difference in his coat - it is softer and shinier. I have been giving him Benadryl for the itching and it helps some. When will I know if this food is making a difference? I am about to just take him to the vet but he seems fine other than the scratching. 

Thoughts, suggestions, always appreciated!!! 

Candace (and Charlie)


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## Oaklys Dad

The scratching is most likely from the remaining sores. I would give it a few more weeks as long as his is not in too much discomfort.


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## firedancer722

Thank you for the input! Is there any sort of OTC ointment or other something I could put on his sores to help them heal? I guess it would have to be something safe if he licks at it. Would a baking soda paste be ok? 

Thanks again.


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## jwemt81

It takes a good 6-8 weeks before you'll know if the new food is helping, so I would pick one food and stick with it for a while. I would highly recommend having allergy testing done to find out if he does in fact have allergies and what the allergens are. That way, you will know exactly what to avoid. The testing can be a bit pricey, but it's so worth it. We had it done on Tucker last fall and it turned out that he is allergic to corn and wheat, so we feed both of our boys Fromm and they do wonderfully on it. Thyroid testing would be another thing to consider since hypothyroidism is extremely common in Goldens and the symptoms can be very similar to allergy symptoms. You can also try 50 mg of Benadryl to relieve some of his itching. Just make sure it's plain Benadryl (diphenhydramine) with nothing else in it. I would also try bathing with a good quality moisturizing shampoo every couple of weeks.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

I'd see the vet just to rule out a staph infection. They are common skin infections and usually easily cleared up, but do require a round of antibiotics. Cody's usually present with little scabby sores.


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## firedancer722

Thanks.... that's what I fear, that he will get some sort of skin infection and it will just get worse and he'll end up getting really sick or something. I think I might call the vet tomorrow just for some peace of mind. Thanks again.


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## tippykayak

Food allergies only account for 10% of atopy in dogs, and grain allergies aren't the most common allergens. The itching and sores are almost certainly from something other than his food.


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## jenlaur

We are going through the same thing with Riley. She has itched since we brought her home a year ago. It has gotten worse in the last couple of months. I'm pretty sure it's not food allergies. She has generalized itching rather than her feet. No yucky ears. The itching has not changed with food changes. She is also on benadryl. We did the serum testing (about $300) and get the results today. 

We put her on the Acana Pacifica for 7 months and noticed no improvement in the itching. That's not to say that you won't though. You gotta give it some time. I have recently switched to Taste of the Wild. Still no difference but she's only been on it for a couple of weeks.

Good luck!


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## jenlaur

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> I'd see the vet just to rule out a staph infection. They are common skin infections and usually easily cleared up, but do require a round of antibiotics. Cody's usually present with little scabby sores.


I agree with this also. Staph infections are very common. My previous golden got them all of the time.


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## Ranger

I usually notice a difference (if any) in 4-6 weeks after changing food. When Ranger switched from Iams to Orijen six fish, it took about that long before he stopped being itchy, his coat started gleaming, and his skin became less flaky. When I switched him from Orijen to Evo, there was a slight change in his coat and energy level, but NOTHING like the Iams - Orijen switch.

I changed Ranger from Evo to Acana light and fit almost 3 months ago. In 6 weeks, his coat has gotten duller, his skin is flaking and itchy again, and he's rubbing his face on the carpets/couches like he used to do when he was on Iams, his ears are gunky, he got an ear and an eye infection...apparently he can only eat grain-free kibble. I'm making the switch this week to Wellness Core reduced fat so hopefully this will all clear up in a few weeks.

Oh and check what's in the ingredients list of the Acana you're feeding. Ranger can't handle rice or oats in his kibble/treats - I think that's the reason he's having such a hard time. I will say Orijen 6 fish was AMAZING for helping Ranger's itchies go away...too bad the new formula didn't agree with him or he'd still be on it!


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## Taz Monkey

Ranger said:


> I usually notice a difference (if any) in 4-6 weeks after changing food. When Ranger switched from Iams to Orijen six fish, it took about that long before he stopped being itchy, his coat started gleaming, and his skin became less flaky. When I switched him from Orijen to Evo, there was a slight change in his coat and energy level, but NOTHING like the Iams - Orijen switch.
> 
> I changed Ranger from Evo to Acana light and fit almost 3 months ago. In 6 weeks, his coat has gotten duller, his skin is flaking and itchy again, and he's rubbing his face on the carpets/couches like he used to do when he was on Iams, his ears are gunky, he got an ear and an eye infection...apparently he can only eat grain-free kibble. I'm making the switch this week to Wellness Core reduced fat so hopefully this will all clear up in a few weeks.
> 
> Oh and check what's in the ingredients list of the Acana you're feeding. Ranger can't handle rice or oats in his kibble/treats - I think that's the reason he's having such a hard time. I will say Orijen 6 fish was AMAZING for helping Ranger's itchies go away...too bad the new formula didn't agree with him or he'd still be on it!


Have you tried the Evo reduced fat?


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## scottie

I can't comment on the food you are using as I am in Scotland but I have found a difference in toilet and coat condition when I switched Charlie from Arden Grange to a different food (vet recommendation ). He was having loose stools, bringing the food up and was diagnosed with gastroenteritis, since then he hasn't been able to go back on AG.
I now feed him a cheaper food which doesn't have wheat in it but his coat has suffered and I'm not very keen on it, the vet did offer allergy testing but it is very expensive and she basically said the gastroenteritis has left him with a weak stomach. (he does well on rice and chicken though, which he laps up!)
Like Ranger I think 4-6wks is a good trial of a new food, hopefully the new stuff you are using will help and the smaller stools are a real bonus .


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## Ranger

Taz Monkey said:


> Have you tried the Evo reduced fat?


I looked into but it has too many calories for how much exercise Ranger gets. It's 458 cals/cup and the wellness core reduced fat is 350 cals/cup. I'm trying to keep Ranger to 700 calories a day and he acts like a drama queen if he gets under 2 cups a day.

I can't wait til we can get our activity level up again and he can go back on the Evo. He thrived on it!


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## firedancer722

Hi y'all! 

Thanks so much for the input. I decided to go ahead and take Charlie to the vet just to be careful, and it turns out he DID have a staph infection. :doh: Poor baby. I feel awful that I waited this long to take him. He's been acting so normally though so I really thought the food would take care of it. He got a steroid shot and 2 weeks of cephalexin antibiotic. The vet also said he has signs of seasonal allergies with his red, itchy and goopy eyes and advised me to use Visine-A for that. She said "if you think of Charlie as a child, he is red-headed, fair skinned, and has freckles... he's got sensitive skin and allergies." 

Now the real dilemma is that I am really straining my budget to feed him the Acana Pacifica - almost $60 for a 29 lb bag. I mean, I can do it, but it is hurting. I am wondering if it's not the food at all and if he could go back to something less expensive but still a good food. I still want his poops to be like tootsie rolls though! LOL


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

Also, we used Micro-tek shampoo when Cody was so terribly infected. It's wonderful to help healing and give instant relief. Really a life saver for us. Now, it's the only shampoo I use. BTW, I was bathing him every few days when he was SO SO bad. www.eqyss.com


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## CarolinaCasey

If the Orijen is hurting your budget, but you want to stay grain-free... try Canidae Grain Free formula again or Taste of the Wild.

You could also try Healthwise by Natura or 4-Star Fromm formulas. They are grain inclusive but many dogs do well with grains.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom

Also, if you want a cheaper but quality food, check out Fromm 4 star line. Locally I can get 30 lbs of the duck for $45. ( the chicken is a little cheaper). I just priced it at k9cuisine (online) and it is 30 lbs for 57.59 delivered. 

www.frommfamily.com
www.k9cuisine.com


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## firedancer722

Penny & Maggie's Mom said:


> Also, we used Micro-tek shampoo when Cody was so terribly infected. It's wonderful to help healing and give instant relief. Really a life saver for us. Now, it's the only shampoo I use. BTW, I was bathing him every few days when he was SO SO bad. www.eqyss.com


Oh, THANK YOU for this suggestion. I was wondering if there was a medicated shampoo that would be good for him. Poor thing, I just want to make him feel better as soon as I can. The steroid shot does seem to be helping with the itching though, but he can sure drink a ton of water now! (Vet warned me of this!)


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